Rope Walker
by Jashi
Summary: Will and Elizabeth are going through hard times: low morals, low cash income, and a new family member on the way. In desperate need to support the incoming babe, a letter from an old friend by a new pirate proves to have...very appropriate timing.
1. Chapter One: Sheets On the Floor

ROPE-WALKER

Written by Jashi

N O T E: Will and Elizabeth are going through hard times: low morals, low cash income, and a new family member on the way. In desperate need to support the incoming babe, a letter from an old friend by a new pirate proves to have...very appropriate timing.

POTC isn't mine…I must say that I enjoyed it highly. I thought Will Turner's role sucked though, so I'm hoping to give him a better part in this fic…probably will be romance. No flames, but constructive criticism is very welcome! Enjoy.

CHAPTER ONE: 

Tades knocked on the door, and looked around. She wanted to look inconspicuous, like a regular caller of the English Society. She knocked again. No answer. She rapped it quite hard. No answer. Tades tried the doorknob, and felt it was locked. 

"Dammit…if this ain't it, Jack'll have to find the bloody man himself." she muttered tiredly. 

Probing up her sleeve, she removed a tiny strip of silver metal. She pushed it into the lock on the door and fiddled around with it for a while. She hummed to herself and kept looking around in a rather paranoid fashion until she heard a quiet click, and the door opened, smooth as butter.

The woman looked around skeptically, finding all the clichés of a happy home. Or what perhaps once was. Upon a quick going over of the house, she found little money lying around, little food, and a much-used mending basket. Tades frowned. Wasn't Elizabeth Swann…now Elizabeth Turner, she mused, supposed to be the governor's daughter? The house was quite small, even for a new couple…but it did have a second story, which lightened her heart a bit. 

Tades gave a great yawn and counted the days back in her head. She hadn't slept in four days. _I've got a new record, _

Jack. she thought bemusedly, and tried not to think about the bed she passed as she walked into the bedroom. 

The bed was unmade and the sheets…Tades chuckled…the sheets were on the floor. All the sheets were, and she carefully edged away from them, and went to look at the vanity. It was small, but the mirror was clear. Many cosmetics though, it looked as though the new Mrs. Turner enjoyed her vanity much.

Making her way to the bedside table, she sat down on the bed. There was a small clock. A wedding present, probably, she thought, and suddenly realized she'd made a very bad choice sitting down on the bed…her head began to inch closer and closer to the pillow that was half-off the bed and her eyes began to close. 

__

Dammit…oh no…I'll sleep until I hear something…then I'll get the hell out…wait… I SHOULDN'T BE SLEEPING! GODDAMMIT! Come on, Tades, WAKE UP! But her pressing thoughts were too late as she faded into an unconscious sleep.

Elizabeth Turner walked down her street, smiling as she neared the house. Noticing the door was open, her heart became light, for it looked as though Will had come home early…or not so. Her husband had not been getting a good amount of work lately…and not just lately. Ever since the incident, it seemed as though no one wanted a sword from someone who was half-pirate. And when her father had died…oh, it had been much to bear, only six weeks after their wedding, there was a funeral for the dear Governor Swann, who had died of a sudden attack…the doctors called it a heart attack. 

But they had been graced with happiness, for about two and a half months ago, a doctor had informed an ill-feeling Elizabeth Turner that she was with child. Will had been ecstatic, and so had she. So even as his business declined sharply, their spirits still stayed high. 

She walked through the slightly ajar door, and called, "Will…are you home early today?" 

There wasn't an answer, which made her frown. Ah, yes. Perhaps he was sleeping, and she giggled quietly to herself about the state of their bed at the moment…

So she walked upstairs, and noticed their bedroom door was closed. Elizabeth opened it, making an effort to not make it creak…and poked her head in.

Elizabeth gasped and her heart turned as cold and hard as stone as she saw a head full of long, dark brown hair on a pillow, lying on her side. 

She shut the door, her hand over her mouth…pain wracked her heart, and tears silently dripped down her cheeks as she went down the stairs again…sat at the table…and wondered at her misfortune to befall her and now there was their unborn child to think of... 

Will Turner was whistling to himself as he walked home from his blacksmith's shop. He had closed business early today, because in the back of his mind he knew there would be no more customers. He was rather optimistic today, and he'd pretty much always been in a good mood since he learned Elizabeth was pregnant with his child…he felt like skipping. In fact, he had, all around the house, swinging Elizabeth up into the air, singing rather loudly, and deciding against getting terribly drunk.

He came upon his house, and noted that the door was slightly ajar. Odd, he mused, but he pushed it open the rest of the way and stepped in.

Elizabeth saw him walk in and jumped up, her sadness and grief being quickly transformed into anger. She strolled over to him, hiding her true fury.

Will smiled at her, his lovely brown eyes twinkling, "Hello, love."

Elizabeth responded to this with a mighty slap to his face. Will staggered back in surprise and with the brute force of it. He rubbed his cheek, his own optimistic mood fading into anger.

"Now why did I deserve that?" he said, keeping his voice in check. Looking at her, he realized she'd been crying, and this was angry sadness…his eyes furrowed.

"How dare you ask me that! How dare you call me love when you have destroyed it all?!" her voice turned into a scream as Will shut the door, wincing.

"What are you talking about, Elizabeth?"

His wife's fists were clenched in fury, and she looked quite formidable at the moment.

"There is a WOMAN upstairs in our BED, WILL! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" her face was becoming flushed as she seethed.

"I have had no consorts with women since I married you, you know that!" his own voice rose to a yell.

"Well, then this is the first, isn't it!" she retorted. 

The fight continued until they were both flushed in the face, yelling, having the first real fight of their married life.

Tades' eyes opened because of shouts…shouts? _Oh, bloody no…_ her heart began to race and she jumped up. According to the clock, she'd been asleep for an hour and a half…and the shouts were of a man and a woman…oh God. She rubbed her eyes and walked down the stairs and saw the two going at each other, both equally furious.

She knocked on the wall. "What's all the shouts…about…oh, my." she said, realization suddenly dawning a lot quicker.

Elizabeth gave a huff and said, "Well, there you have it, Will Turner." she sat down in the chair again, glaring daggers at both of them.

Will looked at the newcomer and opened his mouth to ask who she was, but Tades spoke first.

"Ah, so it's Bootstrap Bill's little one. And he married the governor's daughter, not bad. He would've been happy, I bet. But seeing the state you're in, I'd say otherwise. And," she said, seeing the confusion on both of their faces, "my name is Tades."

"Hades? Your name is Hades? Such a fitting name." blustered Elizabeth.

Tades shook her head. "No, lass, it's TADES. Rhymes with Hades, though. And…now that I got some sleep from looking for your lovely lad for four days, it's time to do what I came here for. You didn't think I was his mistress or something, did you?" Tades said a bit teasingly.

Will Turner glared. "State your business for intruding and then GET OUT." he said with a stern voice that could have crumbled stone. His feet were geared to his sword against the wall, ready to move for it.

"Ah, I'm from Jack Sparrow, I believe you know him. He knows your in a bit of trouble with the business, and he wants to meet you…tomorrow, at seven o'clock, at your little local pub, y'know?" she said fluently.

"How do I know you're from Jack?" Will demanded, still bristling with anger.

Tades sighed. She pulled back the collar of her shirt to reveal a small tattoo of a bird. She then pulled up her shirtsleeve and showed him the dark red P tattoo that resided there. Will gave her an odd look.

"I know I wasn't present for your adventure, but Tades was in a Spanish jail at the time. Now, seeing I've done my job, I don't need anymore sleep, and I've wrecked your happy home, I'm truly sorry. I must be going now, so he'll see you at seven tomorrow, Will."

Tades strolled to the door and walked out, wincing as she did so. She'd been awake for four days, why'd she have to drop off now? She hoped she'd cleared it up a bit, seeing the lass was in the beginning of pregnancy. It was a long walk down to the docks, and she had to swim out to the Black Pearl, which was resting in a small cove.

Anamarie threw down a rope to the swimming Tades. 

"Took you long enough!" the dark-skinned woman called down playfully. 

Tades scaled the rope in ten seconds, and shook out her long mane of dark-colored hair when her feet were safely on board.

A familiar, clear voice called, "So, Tades. Is the deal on?"

"At that pub, seven o' clock sharp tomorrow, Jack."

"Good, good, good. We'll give him a little belated wedding gift, won't we now."

"If he agrees."

"And he will, because I know how bad his business is going now."

Tades pulled back her hair with a thong of leather. Her eyes looked to the winds and the sunny afternoon. She grabbed a long rope hanging from the crow's mast and began her ascension, which took little time indeed as she stood at the edge of the nest, looking out on the Caribbean.

Another adventure was beginning…

TO BE CONTINUED


	2. Chapter Two: Designated Driver

ROPE-WALKER

Written by Jashi

N O T E: Once again, Pirates of the Caribbean isn't mine, I'm not making a dime off of this. Um, if anybody at all could help me think of a new title, it would be much appreciated. I implore you to review if you like it, or if you have something you could help me with like *cough* title *cough* or you just wanna shout. No flames, though. I'm spelling Anamarie's name like they spelled it on some theatre website. Watch out for a little Will and Elizabeth fluff this chapter…only a little. Y'know, let's-make-up-I'm-so-lonely-without-you fluff. *smiles* Makes ya feel all fuzzy inside already, doesn't it? May Allah bless you, Maze. And (sorry) if you want to really get a feel for this chapter, listen to Chumbawamba's Tubthumping. XD 

CHAPTER TWO:

"Come, come, Tades. We're off in a moment, and if you don't hurry, we're leaving without you." the dark-skinned woman called.

"Aw, you wouldn't do that now, wouldja?" Tades said teasingly as she quickly crawled down to the deck from her crow's nest. "And hurry is my middle name, Anamarie." 

Jack Sparrow was already getting in the boat, followed by Gibbs. Anamarie pulled Tades in behind her, and Tades gave a salute to the crew. 

"If we should not get back from this local pub alive…" she began, but with a guffaw from the crew they were dropped quite abruptly into the sea. 

Anamarie gave a hearty laugh as she tossed the other woman an oar. Tades sighed quietly and began to row.

They neared the shore, making sure they were well away from the docks. The small pirate band pulled the boat up on the shore, and as they were nearing the town, Jack turned around to walk backwards, and started to talk.

"Now, you two," he pointed at Mr. Gibbs and Anamarie, "just walk around and loiter and don't do anything stupid. I'm going to go get a table at the back where it's plenty loud. Tades, go find our little Will and get him to the back of the pub, savvy?" 

"Aye aye, captain." said Anamarie, which was followed by a "Yessir." from Tades. Gibbs grunted in agreement, and as they reached the town, he stopped to look over some apples…and the woman selling them. Jack snickered. 

He opened the door to the pub, chivalrously letting Anamarie and Tades in first and following behind. The captain kept his hat lowered. He wasn't sure if the whole thing hadn't blown over yet, the great adventure and all. He wanted to keep this conspicuous. Jack grabbed a pint of rum and took a gulp, surveying the bar in search of Tades or Will. He spotted Tades casually strolling around the bar, amidst the drunken men. A bunch of the lushes started up a great song behind them and half the bar joined in. His kohl-lined eyes crinkled in amusement. Yes, this was plenty loud. 

***a bit before***

Will and Elizabeth hadn't done a lot of talking since Tades had left. It needed to blow over, they needed to be more comfortable in each other's presence again. Looking at the clock beside their bed, Will noticed it was a half an hour till seven. He pulled on his coat and grabbed his hat. He walked down the stairs again, but laid his hat on the table. Elizabeth seemed to be concentrating extremely hard on mending one of his shirts. 

"Er…Elizabeth." he began, noting how unsteady his voice was and he cursed himself for it. She laid down the mending and looked at him.

"Yes, Will?" she remarked, noting how unsteady her voice was, and she cursed herself for it. He looked back at her, and she stood up and went to shut the window. It was open and a cold draft was coming in. Elizabeth utterly hated being cold. She took a deep breath and turned around.

"Let's stop this now, shall we?" she said, her eyes down at the floor.

"Stop what?"

"Oh…" she murmured, beginning to get frustrated with her words and how they wouldn't come together, "being angry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get so…violent and mad. I…I...was just…"

"Worried? Confused? Angry? Any of these words work?" Will offered.

Elizabeth looked up and saw that his dark brown eyes were twinkling, and it put her heart at ease. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her tenderly.

"I've had no consorts with women from the day I set eyes on you, Elizabeth. Only with you." he whispered and kissed the top of her head. The half-pirate held her tightly for a few minutes, then stepped away and grabbed his hat from behind him.

"I've got to go or else I'll be late." he said somewhat sorrowfully. But his wife smiled and opened the door. 

"Don't stay out too long, Will." she said teasingly, and he walked out the door, tipping his hat to her as he passed. Elizabeth shut the door and laughed out loud. 

***alright, back to the pub (didja like the fluff? *holds up a cue card* "Awww…")***

Will Turner entered the Singing Swan pub, looking around and then getting a table somewhere near the entrance. Tades spotted him immediately, but pretended she didn't know him for another ten minutes. Then as a song started up that made her wince, she casually strolled to his table. 

"So, Will. Are you planning on drinkin' with the captain tonight?" she said lowly, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. 

"Yes, I am, Tades." he said and stood up quite quickly.

"Then to the back of the pub we go." she nudged him towards the back and he walked, finally spotting Jack. He grinned and Tades was momentarily side-tracked by a drunken man, quite large in size, tripping and ploughing right into her like a ton of bricks. Will heard the crash and winced, but decided not to look back. He sat at Jack's table and whipped off his hat. The woman pirate pulled herself out from the passed-out lush and many men laughed. She straightened up and dusted herself off, and sat down, her head held up high. Jack laughed merrily and took another great gulp of rum. Tades glared. 

"I didn't ask for that." she growled and denied a pint of rum. Jack and Will gave her odd looks as they both took a great swig. She shrugged. 

"Somebody's got to row us home tonight." 

"Oh bloody hell, Tades, lighten up." Jack muttered and took another rather large swig, finishing the pint. He grabbed another one and had guzzled half of it down before he began to talk.

"Well, Will. I heard business is going…rather down lately." he began. Will nodded, a bit ashamedly. 

"Not selling all those fine swords…being a half-pirate is a hard life."

"You don't know the half of it!" Will's voice suddenly became angry, and it interrupted Jack firmly, with conviction and real fire in the eyes, observed Tades. 

"No one comes to the smithy all day…no one at all. I have a wife to support, and now I have a child on the way…" he said, a certain hopelessness and defeat coming into him.

But Jack's eyes began to glimmer, like a medallion does when it catches the sunlight just right, a look of adventure took over his persona.

"Aye…that's as much as I figured. Well, congratulations." he said, and threw his head back to down the rum in a single gulp.

"You will always remember this as the day you got yer lonely virgin arse saved by Captain Jack Sparrow." 

Tades snorted. "He's no virgin anymore, cap'n. A man's gotta do _something_ with a woman to make her have his child…" she trailed off, chuckling.

Will nearly spit out his drink, but managed to keep his head held high and his drink inside his mouth. Tades stood up, still chortling to herself. She gave Will a friendly slap on the back, and cocked her head. Her hand rose up, the fingers moving, counting along with her voice. 

"Five…four…three…two…one." and a woman's loud, off-key singing began near the back of the bar, and Tades rolled her eyes. 

"That'll be Ana. Make it quick, Jack. I can only subdue so many drunks at a time." she said, and began to make her way over to the other side of the tavern. Will gave an odd glance at her retreating back.

"Ah, that Tades. Can't sail with her, can't sail without her. Now, down to business. The Black Pearl sails in two days for the Islas Presentar, four islands, three of them being named Isla Dolor, Isla Tentació n, and the Island of Culls. The last island is called Isla Alegre Triste…and on that fourth island is great treasure…but you must pass through the first three islands…and then through one hundred eleven miles of enemy pirate territory. It'll be a good two or three month journey, but you must be present to get your share of treasure, savvy?"

Slow realization dawned on Will. "You want me…to come…with you?"

"He can be taught." sniggered Jack and he took another swig of rum from a new pint. "It'll be full of perils and scares and rum and women and more rum…" the pirate said, sipping. Will held back a laugh.

"So, Will. It'll be money to support your babe, your wife, and enough gold to move out of here. And," he continued as the man winced, "you know you have to. People will shun your descendents. If you want to settle down, you have to start over, Will. If you go with us, you're with us till the end. Take it or leave it."

TO BE CONTINUED


	3. Chapter Three: Inopportune Timing

ROPE-WALKER

Written by Jashi

N O T E: And now I'm a scribe…XD…everybody please review…I don't own the Pirates of the Caribbean as I have stated before…I do own Tades…lalala…may Allah bless all who review and/or like Jack Sparrow in a black speedo…

CHAPTER THREE

Will's eyes furrowed as he contemplated this. More singing and yells and crashes nearly drowned out his thoughts, making it hard to concentrate.

"I'd say yes…but I'd have to ask Elizabeth…two or three months…I'd have to leave her all by herself. She can't come, she's pregnant…" he muttered to himself, forgetting that Jack was still there. The pirate captain began to hum and took another few swigs of rum. 

"Yes. I will come with you." Will's voice was clear, but a bit shaky. 

"Alrighty, mate. We sail the day after tomorrow." Jack raised his pint, and Will grinned.

"Take all you can," said Jack and the two men clunked their mugs together.

"Give nothing back." finished Will and they slammed their pints down on the table.

Jack turned his head and saw Anamarie singing drunkenly along with Mr. Gibbs and a few other men, swaying back in fourth with pints in their hands. He grinned and began to sing along. 

It was like that for another hour or so, until a visibly amused Tades dragged the other three pirates out of the pub before it got too violent. Will laughed as he walked out of the pub, and he watched them as they walked far ahead. He could just make out their shapes in the night. And their loud, raucous singing reached their ears, even the sober Tades was singing.

"_Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.   
We kindle and char, inflame and ignite,   
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.   
We burn up the city, we're really a fright,   
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho! _

We're rascals, scoundrels, villans, and knaves,   
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho…" 

"We're devils and black sheep, really bad eggs, drink up, me 'earties, yo ho." Will sang to himself as the voices and figures disappeared into the night. He straightened his hat and walked home, humming to himself some more. The house was dark, and he walked up the stairs, smiling as he spotted his sleeping wife. He undressed, and got into bed beside Elizabeth, wrapped his arms around her. But he did not fall asleep. He stayed awake for a long while, thinking. He finally fell asleep much later into the night, wondering what he was going to tell Elizabeth.

He awakened the next morning with a nervous feeling in his stomach. Elizabeth was still asleep, and he nudged her gently. She stirred and her eyes fluttered open. 

"Good morning, Will." she said drowsily, dark eyes meeting his, "have a good night with Jack?"

"Er…yes…I did…" Will trailed off. Elizabeth tried to give him a suspicious look, but it was hard because she was not quite awake.

"Well, let me dress and then you can tell me about it." she said, and rose from the bed, walking behind a screen in the corner. Will gave a small sigh and rose as well, and dressed. His wife walked downstairs, and after he buttoned his shirt, he followed her. 

"So how is the old scallywag?" 

"He's better than ever, it looks like."

"I heard them singing last night, it was so bloody loud."

At this, Will laughed. "Yes, it 'twas. They were all very drunk, except for Tades, I guess."

"That woman was there too?" Elizabeth's voice grew a bit hard and cold.

Will had to fight the urge to smile. "Yes, she was. She's quite nice, actually, but a bit…odd." 

"What was Jack's message, dear? You have failed to mention that small, insignificant fact." her coldness faded.

The man bit his lip and paused for a moment. "Elizabeth…" he said gently, slowly, "I have to leave."

Her eyes furrowed. She didn't need to hear it again. "Why?"

"Jack's going on a journey, an adventure, a quest, whatever you want to call it," his voice becoming frustrated, "Elizabeth, I'm not making any money. We have a child on the way. Your father is dead. If I go on this journey, we'll have enough money to move and _start over._"

Elizabeth closed her eyes for a moment, and sat down. "How long?"

"Hm?"

"How long are you going to be gone?"

Will winced. This was the bad part. She could manage him leaving…but three months was a long time to be gone. 

"Three months."

"_What?_"

"Do I have to say it again?"

"My God, Will. Three months? Where in the seven hells are you going?"

"Isla Presentar, it's four islands. Elizabeth, I _must _go. This is for the future for all of us, if we want to survive…" he trailed off, not knowing what to say more, "…you have to understand."

Elizabeth stood up, and turned away for a few moments. Then he heard words coming from her lips:

  
"…How am I going to stop you, Will?" she said, her voice soft.

"It'll be alright after this, I promise, sweetheart." was all he could say, and he put a hand on her shoulder. Her hand rose up to meet it. 

"Well, that's yer answer then, I suppose?" a familiar voice came from the window, and Will whipped his head around. Elizabeth's eyes widened.

"You?!" she sputtered. 

Tades was at the window, leaning in with a small smile on her face.

"Tades, what in God's name are you doing here?"

"I came to make sure yer wife agreed, o'course. Second thoughts are often used with the name 'Captain Jack Sparrow'. I see where Will Turner's loyalties lie now." she drawled.

Will gave her a menacing glare. "You have the most inopportune timing I have ever seen."

Tades grinned. "You should talk. It's a miracle yer married to that lass, that it is. I'm famous…or infamous, matters whose talking…for my bad timing, Mr. Turner. Ye should know that by now." she stuck her head in the window again.

"We leave at ten tomorrow. Be at the Swinging Swan tomorrow at nine. Then Tades the courier will lead you to your new employment. Ta!"

She turned and walked very quickly down the street, and finally broke out into a run. It took all her control not to shout out a whoop of joy. Finally, this caged cat was going to go on a proper pirate quest, with loot and adventure, and mortal peril. Her skin bristled. Yo ho, she thought brightly as she reached the cove, yo ho yo ho, it's a pirate's life fer me.


	4. Chapter Four: Morn

ROPE-WALKER

Written By Jashi

N O T E: *listens to PotC soundtrack* Mwehehehe….I could gaze at the pictures in the CD booklet for hours…^_~ I don't own PotC. If I did…well….let's not get into that. Read and reply, please. Use the purple review box of happiness! *listens to the Black Pearl track of the CD* *starts dancing around* Prepare for more Will/Elizabeth fluff this chapter…not much, actually. Okay, Anamarie is now going to be spelled ANAMARIA, because Jashi happens to be half blind…

CHAPTER FOUR:

It was now a quarter till nine. Elizabeth and Will Turner were waiting in the alleyway next to the Singing Swan. They were silent and awkward, standing closely next to each other. Will reached over and squeezed his wife's hand. She turned her head, hazel eyes boring into his own…the only one who could see the depths of his own soul as well as he could. Even better, sometimes. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, the pack he had been carrying sliding off his shoulder and hitting the ground with a soft _thump_. 

They became lost in each other for a few moments, sharing their last kiss as man and wife for a very long time…

…because then Tades came down from the roof, making a special effort to be quiet as she landed on the ground. She 

looked about for a moment, then saw Elizabeth and Will. She grinned, and muttered something that sounded a bit like "Again?". She leaned against the wall, and let them go on for a few moments more, trying . Then she coughed and cleared her throat. Elizabeth and her husband jumped about six feet into the air, and Will swore.

"What the hell--? Oh, it's just you." Will sputtered.

Elizabeth's eyes widened slightly. "How long have you been standing there?"

Tades winked unashamedly. "Long enough, miss."

Elizabeth blushed a little and looked down at the ground. 

"Alright, Will. Time to take yer leave." Tades said and turned…then jumped back and pressed herself hard against the wall.

"I saw her! She ran up this way!" a shout came from the street and there was the sound of many feet clattering over cobblestones. 

Tades sighed. "We picked a perfect day to go, y'know. It's the Grand Procession day. All these soldiers walking up and down the streets…such terrible timing…" she shook her head ruefully. "Come now, Will. Say yer goodbye, and then we be off."

Will stooped down and picked up his pack from the ground, slinging it over his shoulder. His gun and sword were on his belt, and they clinked a bit when he moved. He reached out and embraced his wife.

"Take the back way home," he whispered, " don't let them see you or think you were involved with this. I love you, Elizabeth." 

"Be careful, Will. Come home soon."

He released her and turned to Tades, who was grinning. 

"Alrighty, mate. Let's take our leave. Don't let 'em see yer face." Tades stuck her head out to the street, and listened. 

"All clear. Let's fly." she ran out into the street and began to speed down it, towards the cove. Will followed, and suddenly he heard a cry behind him:

"There she is!"

"Keep up, boy! I don't fancy goin' back t'jail!" Tades called back, and increased her speed, barreling down the street as fast as she could, Will not so far behind anymore.

Redcoats coming up fast, she heard a few gunshots. _Bloody bastards!_ she cursed, _shooting out on a street like this? _

The pirate maneuvered over to the side of the street, and grabbed the edge of a roof. Wasting a few precious seconds, almost getting shot in the arm, she climbed on and began running again, this time laughing and yelling taunts at the redcoats behind them. They attempted to shoot at her, but they hit chimneys and houses instead. She was high and going fast, a bit harder to aim at now. 

"Aye, ye scurvy bastards, can ye catch me now?!" she cat-called down, and jumped to the next roof. Will wasn't concerned about them catching her, he was more worried about them catching him.

Quite a few roofs later, they were at the edge of the town, were the cobblestone road became dirt. Some of the redcoats had wised up and mounted on horses. Now Will was worried. But Tades was still grinning, and at the last roof, she jumped off it, and landed smartly next to Will. 

"Having as much fun as I am, Turner?"

"Depends on your idea of fun." panted Will as she led him off the path. Soon they came to some sand, and a boat.

"C'mon, lad, let's not waste the time we have." she pushed out the boat, jumped in and began rowing, and he waded several feet into the water before he could catch up and jump in with her. They moved speedily through the water, 

Will rowing as well.

As they reached the Black Pearl, Tades called out to the ship.

"Ahoy, the Black Pearl!" she cried, and several people stuck their heads out over the railing, saw Will, and their mouths dropped open. 

Tades rolled her eyes. As he got older, Will Turner looked like his famous father more than ever.

"You hell-raisin' scallywags can gawk at Turner's lovely looks later!" Tades yelled up at them, "We got the Navy following us!"

"Ye heard the lass, hoist 'em up, and be quick about it!" Jack's voice came from beyond Will's view. 

"Aye, aye cap'n!" several shouts went up, ropes were lowered, and before Will knew it, he was on the deck of the Black Pearl. Men, Anamaria and Tades were rushing to positions. He didn't quite know what to do. Finally, he ran over to Mr. Gibbs, who was working at the cannons, and helped load them. Jack barked orders and stood at the helm, and as the wind picked up, the anchor was raised and they began to move. 

Will thought they might actually get out quietly. Perhaps the cannons would be loaded in vain. Tades was at the top of the mast, standing on the ledge of the crows nest.

"Oh, c'mon, give us a break…" she muttered, her eyes scanning the waters. But she spotted the Commodore's ship, the one Jack had talked about. 

"Captain, we've got company!" she called down, and many of the men cheered. She pulled out her already loaded gun, but did not raise it up to aim just quite yet. 

Will spotted the ship in the clear morning light. He ducked down beside the cannon. Better they not see him, because the Commodore Norrington was still not married, and Will believed he was still in love with Elizabeth. Better to not make things more complicated for her than they already were. Tades saw him do it and smiled. _He's not half as ignorant as I thought he would be…oh, bloody hell, now he'll do something stupid…_

Jack steered the ship out of the cove and came within a hundred feet of the Atlanticus, the Commodore's ship.

"Ahoy there, Mr. Commodore!" he yelled across.

"Hello, Jack Sparrow." came the clipped and cold reply.

"How many times have I got ta tell ye? It's CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW!" he bellowed. 

"You're under arrest for at least two dozen criminal offenses, Jack!"

"What about me day's head start!?"

"It's been two years!"

"Really? How time flies…it was only yesterday when I was escaping yer noose fer the second time, was it, Commodore?"

"Do you surrender?!" Norrington cried across.

Jack's brow furrowed. "What did ye say?"

"Do You Surrender?!" came the cry again, only louder

"I'm deaf in one ear. Say it again?"

"DO YOU SURRENDER, JACK SPARROW!?!"

"Hmmm…since you put it that way…" the captain began to walk towards the front of the ship, and turned around suddenly to face his crew.

"What'd ye say, mates? We gonna lie down and let 'em take us to the jails? The noose? Davey Jones' locker?" 

A cry went up along the pirates. They shouted terrible curses on the Commodore and the crew of the Atlanticus. There were several cries of "No!", "Go to hell, Mr. Commodore!", "We won't go without a fight!" and, "Go lie with a bilge-rat, you bloody bastards!" 

The last one was Tades' own loudly voiced comment from the top of the mast. 

Jack smiled devilishly at the Royal Navy's ship and crew. 

"There's yer answer, Norrington. And it's **CAPTAIN **JACK SPARROW!" he bellowed again. Then came the earsplitting sound of a cannon being fired, and the battle commenced. 

It was a battle full of thundering fire, the air thickening with smoke. Will's face became dark with the gunpowder of the cannons. He worked with Gibbs at the cannon, and stayed there for the entire battle. But his hands became slippery with sweat and the black dust until he could barely hold on to the next shot. 

Tades was having her own troubles up on the mast. At the beginning, it had been an excellent idea to take down enemies from the crows nest, but now some of the soldiers had begun to figure out that someone was shooting them from up high. Some rifle-shots were now being aimed at the top, which was all in good fun for Tades, but now they were aiming at the mast and missing. Great, thick black cannonballs were going through the sails, sometimes coming very near the mast and failing in their attempts. Tades decided that she should probably get down for her own personal safety, and reached for the rope that lead down to the deck. She heard a tremendous buzz by her ear and a flash of black. Her hands immediately went up to cover her head, and she heard a steady ripping noise behind her. She removed her hands and stared at the rip in the sail, panting. Tades had almost gotten squared in the head by a cannonball.

"Alright…must get down…must get down…" she muttered, "Rope, rope, rope, rope…oh bloody hell…" her voice dropped. Where in God's name were her ropes? She usually had one hanging around just from the crows nest to the deck, not to mention other ropes for the sails and ropes for a harness used for mending them. But the sails were getting shredded, and that was that. Too many ropes had come untied. She did see a possible method of getting down, several ways after she observed the scene. She could sense the battle was beginning its end. Tades saw several ropes flying free with the sails, attached to poles that extended from the mast for the main sails. One of the sails had halfway fallen off its pole, and a few ropes had come free. 

"C'mon, you git," she murmured to herself, and reached her hands up to the top of the mast. Again wasting precious seconds to climb up something, she got to the top of the mast and almost fell off. 

"Dammit…" she gritted her teeth and reached out to the pole on her knees, "Bloody…hell…bloody…hell…" 

Tades crawled forwards until she was all the way on the pole, feet and hands and all. She took a deep breath in…and ran across the pole at a crouch. Her hands reached down at the end of the pole and grasped the rope, and she slipped down quickly. 

The Black Pearl was beginning to pull away, away from the Atlanticus and Port Royal. A loud, raucous cry went up about the pirates in victory. Tades grasped the railing of the ship, and looked about her. The damage was done, but not terrible. The main sails were dead. She shook her head sadly. Guess who'd be putting the new ones up?

"That was a mighty great fight m'crew. Good job. Now get back ter work!" Jack yelled, and many of the pirates groaned and began clearing away debris. The pirate captain made his way to the mast. 

"So, love, how'd the sails fare?" he asked her.

"Ye can see fer yerself, cap'n." she glared at him. 

Jack sighed. "Mend 'em fer now, and when we stop by Tortuga we'll get some new ones. Go on, scat." he shooed her away, and it was her turn to sigh. 

"Anamaria!" she called, and her dark-skinned friend appeared. 

"Aye, Tades?"

"I need a thread and a needle."

"Sail mending?"

"Aye."

Anamarie turned on her heel to fetch it. Tades stared at the crows nest, judging how much rope she'd have to use to get the big slashes in the sails.

Will was attempting to wash off his face, which had turned very dark with soot. 

"Not bad, Will." Jack's voice came from behind him. 

"Where are we heading?" Will's voice was muffled by a towel.

"Tortuga, lad."

(to be continued…mwahaha.)

__


	5. Chapter Five: Longshanks and The Shillin...

ROPE-WALKER

Written By Jashi

N O T E: THE FIRST NIGHT IN TORTUGA! Long have I awaited this particular chapter…XP…PotC is not mine. If it were, Jack would be in my closet right now…eh heh eh heh. *dances 'round* Thanks to Maze for helping me with everything…^_^

CHAPTER FIVE

Now, it had been a day and a half since the battle in Port Royale. Tades had mended the sails, but they were so far gone, forlorn, and godforsaken that she thought they should quietly lower them into the sea while Gibbs said aloud a prayer. But she wasn't worried about the sails, not now. She was a mite excited. Tortuga meant fun. Tortuga meant pirates. Tortuga meant her younger half-brother, Romulus. She hadn't seen him in five years, but he'd known where she'd been. On the sea, then in jail. It was he who'd told Jack she was in that bloody jail on the coast of Spain, god bless her sibling. 

But that was a story for another time, eh?

It had been a nice day, the wind was blowing steady. Tades was up in her crows nest, watching the horizon. The late afternoon was passing by quickly, the sun just beginning to dip below the waves, when Tades spotted the city.

"Land ho, sir!" she called down loudly, and most of the crew gave whoops of joy. Jack looked up.

"C'mon you scurvy land-lovers! If ye want the night off, then HURRY UP!" 

The crew shuffled around, and time passed quickly as Tades came down from her nest. They were quite close to Tortuga, and the evening was just beginning, with sounds that were original only to the pirate city.

"Oy, Tades, c'mere." she heard her captain call. Her head swiveled around to see him walk into his cabin. _Right, right, right…gold fer the sails…can't bother to buy 'em himself…_

She opened the door and followed him in. He had his back turned to her, and was looking through a drawer. Tades tapped her foot impatiently. The captain smelled of alcohol, as usual. The woman pirate wondered how she could ever feel secure under a captain who didn't believe in being sober for more than an hour at a time. He finally turned around with a small bag, and he handed it to her. 

"I want half-way decent sails, love, black or white, it doesn't matter. Bring 'em back t' the ship, and ye can put him on tomorra'…" he turned his back for a moment. Tades took this opportunity to roll her eyes and began to step away towards the door. 

He turned again, and the captain flipped something small and shiny to her. Tades caught it without a second thought and looked at it. It was a silver coin, small in size. A shilling. 

"Sir?" she asked with skepticism in her voice.

"Ah…just something for not getting yer head blasted off by a cannonball…yes, love, I saw." he said in a most roguish and casual manner.

Tades gritted her teeth and glared. She turned on her heel, and flung open the door. She slammed it shut with a mighty rattle. Anamaria threw her a questioning stare.

"What?" she complained irritably, "the door sticks!"

Anamaria just shook her head and went back to her task. 

__

AND WOULD IT KILL THE MAN TO GIVE ME A NIGHT OFF?!?! she thought furiously.

Yes, Tades was quite irritated, to say the least. She pocketed the bag, and the silver shilling. Land crept closer to them, and the Black Pearl finally docked on Tortuga just as the sun dipped below the surface.

"Alright, men…and women!" Captain Jack Sparrow added quickly, noticing the glares from Tades and Anamaria, "Take yer night off…" 

There was another loud cheer amongst the crew, and they disembarked from the Black Pearl, Tades going much slower than the rest. She was the last one to step off, behind Will and Jack. Jack was talking animatedly to Will about Tortuga's twin taverns, and he noticed Tades stalk off out of the corner of his eye. 

And the captain of the Black Pearl grinned.

An hour or so later, Tades was walking back to the ship, her arms full of black and white linen. The sails had been cheap and of a half-way decent quality. So she'd gotten some black…and some white. The woman pirate set them down beside some barrels on the ship. A slight _ping _reached her ears, and she noticed a silver shilling had fallen out of her pocket. Her brow furrowed as she picked it up.

"I'm only worth a shilling?" she whispered angrily and cocked her arm back as to chuck it out into the sea. But she faltered and lowered her arm, looking again at the silver in her hand. She tucked it in her pocket and shook her head.

"I'll never be able to understand myself…" she murmured, and disembarked again from the Black Pearl. 

The dark hours of night were creeping upon her, and she made it to Tortuga's twin taverns. The first, called the Rusted Ropes was owned by a chap named Briagadeer. It was a messy, loud tavern with bad rum. But it was a good place to meet other pirates. There were brawls and fights and massive riots every few days there. 

The second, dubbed Longshanks, was a bit quieter. But there was very nice rum there, according to her captain, much better then Rusted Ropes'. Tades always grinned at this. 

Her half-brother, Romulus, owned this tavern.

She had checked in the Rusted Ropes to see if Jack was there, but there had been no trace of Jack Sparrow. There was a long hall in between the two taverns, with rooms and such. Tades sighed and looked around. About half-way down the hall, she spotted a door. She opened it cautiously and looked inside. Tades' eyes widened and her mouth opened in a silent scream.

Will Turner walked the long hall that connected the two taverns. He was grimacing as the skin around his eye grew puffy and dark. 

"That was a mighty hit ye took, Will." Jack commented, "What a sunrise it'll be tomorrow."

Will rolled his eyes. 

There was a slamming sound to be heard, and the half-pirate spotted Tades leaning against one, her fist tight around the doorknob, face stretched tight in unknown terror.

Jack's eyes widened. "Lass? What happened?" he called up to her. Tades released the doorknob, turned, and rubbed her eyes furiously.

"Tades?" inquired Will as they came up to her. 

"Gibbs is in there…with a woman…" she trailed off and Jack started laughing. Will also permitted a grin, though inside he was wincing along with the pirate lady.

"Did they notice ye?"

Tades glared and then looked sheepish. "No, sir…they were too _far along_." 

Jack laughed even harder at this, and clapped his hands over Will's ears lighly. "Don' let the virgin lad hear it!"

Will glared and pulled Jack's hands off of his ears.

"I am not a virgin!" he said much too loudly and even Tades laughed.

"No need to shout it to the world. Yer wife is living proof o' that, Turner." she drawled.

Jack clapped his courier on the back. "Come on, love, we're ta see yer brother now." 

They began to walk and Jack left his hand on her back a half-moment too long. Tades bristled and stepped quicker. 

The three reached the door of the Longshanks tavern, but the door opened and two men went flying out.

"Get outta my tavern before I shove a keg of rum up yer arse!" someone from inside the Longshanks shouted.

"And it really hurts, believe me!" called Tades at the two men's retreating backs. 

A head stuck out the door. "Tades?"

"Gidday, Romulus." 

Jack, Will, and Tades stepped into the tavern, and Will gawked. The man was _huge_. He was at least three heads taller than Tades, and Tades was only a hair shorter than Jack. 

The pirate lady bounded forward and was swept up in a big brotherly hug.

"Tades, you scoundrel!"

"I am not the scoundrel. Jack's the scoundrel. I'm the jinx." 

"And who's he?" Romulus had a deep voice that resonated around them.

Will opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off.

"He's the eunuch." said Jack and Tades at the same time. 

"I am not a eunuch." said Will tiredly, "My name is Will Turner."

Romulus released his half-sister and grinned broadly. He was a very tall man, well-muscled and definetly looked as though he was related to Tades. They had the same dark brown hair, and Romulus' was long and tied back. Tades wore hers the same way, though her hair was longer. Their noses and faces were the same, though their eyes were very different. The man had chocolate-colored eyes, while Tades had green. 

"So, sister. What brings you here?" 

"Rum!" said Jack loudly and Tades grinned.

They sat down at the table, and Romulus brought four pints of rum in his broad hands. 

"Take all you can!" said Jack, raising his mug.

"Give nothing back." replied Tades, Will, and Romulus. There was no talk for a moment while they drank. 

"So tell me the tale, sister, of what brings you to the Longshanks once again?" Romulus asked after a few moments.

"We're going ta Isla Presentar, Romulus." said Jack. Romulus began choked on his rum. Tades gave him a mighty whack on the back.

"Yer _crazy_, plain and simple as that." the bartender guffawed. 

Tades grinned and took a sip of her rum. "Aye, we know of the stories…that's half of what we're goin' on, ain't it, sir?" 

Jack nodded. "We got a map, and some pages of an old journal…the stories are aidin' us a bit. I don't know quite what to expect."

Will's brow furrowed. "What stories?"

Romulus got a darkened look in his eyes. "Isla Presentar…the Islands of Sacrifice are a famous tale among here."

Jack put his two shillings in: "Three islands: Isla Dolor, the Island of Pain. Isla Tentación, the Island of Temptation. And the Island of Culls…which goes without saying…is the island of death. The last island is Triste Alegre, the Island of Saddened Happiness."

"How can you be sad if you are happy? The last island has the treasure, correct?"

"You get the treasure if you survive all three islands, lad. But people will die and be mauled along the way…a sacrifice for the treasure…hence the name."

Will took a great gulp of rum. Time to switch to another subject. He wasn't liking the sound of this…especially the Island of Temptation. Thankfully, Tades intervened with something quite off subject. 

"Got yerself a girl yet, brother?"

Romulus sighed. "Nay. No girl pretty enough to catch my eye."

"Better be careful, or you'll end up like me."

"And what would this be? Gettin' locked up in Spanish jails an' sailing with th' great Cap'n Jack Sparrow an' bein' an old maid?" 

Tades glared at her half-brother. "Watch yer tongue, lad."

Jack grabbed another rum. 

"I don't think Tades is an old maid." he said, taking a swig. 

Tades blinked. "That's the nicest thing you've said ta me in months."

"Well…I mean…she's not THAT old…well, she's not young, but…" Jack trailed off and finished the pint. Tades kicked him under the table.

"Watch YER tongue, sir."

And so the night went, ending with Tades and Will attempting to pull an extremely drunk Jack out of the Longshanks. He was singing wildly, and finally passed out ten feet out of the Longshanks door. 

Will sighed. "Should we just leave him here on the side of the road, or drag him back to the Pearl?"

"He's too bloody heavy to carry back to the ship…eh, he's fine right here." Tades remarked. Will walked on ahead, back to the Pearl, stopping to look at his reflection on a moonlit pane of glass.

"What a sunrise…" he said, repeating what Jack had said earlier.

Tades went back to the Pearl the long way, cutting through the Rusted Ropes and a few other streets. She got on the ship once again, climbing up to her crows nest.

She leaned against the rail, her head drooping off to the side. Rum made her sleepy. It was why she hardly drank. She needed to stay awake for her job. But this one night, while she was in Tortuga, with people who knew better than to try and steal from Captain Jack Sparrow's Black Pearl, she could afford a few winks. 

Tades' eyes closed and she was swept off into black, with a single voice calling her name in the darkness of her dream…

(to be continued! Please review, it helps me tremendously!)


	6. Chapter Six: Straight Trippin'

ROPE-WALKER

Written By Jashi

N O T E: Oh, if PotC were mine…and mine alone…updates will be farther and fewer in-between now that school has started…sorry. I'd write all day if I could. 

CHAPTER SIX

Tades walked across the pole, a black sail crumpled in her arms. Carefully, she lowered herself down onto her knees. The few sleeping people on deck were small blots below. She began to tie the sail down, and a sweet breeze wafted through. The sun was warm, not shining high and burning, in the morning hours. There were the sounds of a waking city in the air. 

Jack Sparrow woke up on the side of the road, a chicken pecking at his leg. He kicked at it, and with a loud squawk it wobbled away. He sat up, and rubbed his pounding head. Strong arms behind him grasped the pirate and pulled him up in one swift movement.

"Jack's a hung-over pirate this morning, I see." Romulus' deep, sonorous voice was familiar, indeed.

The other man's response was a cross between a groan and a mutter. 

"Oh…hello…Romulus." The pirate captain grabbed the wall for support. Romulus laughed, albeit quietly. 

"Good morning, sir." he chuckled.

Jack glared. He began staggering in the direction he thought was the Black Pearl. Romulus grasped the drunken pirate's shoulder and turned him around, facing the opposite direction. 

"No, Jack," the bartender had a smile in his voice, "it's this way…" 

Tades was tying the last knot in the left sail. She grinned as she finished, just a little bit proud of herself. She quickly walked across the pole to the crow's nest, sliding down a rope to the deck as she saw Jack and Romulus board in her peripheral vision. 

" 'Mornin, brother." she said nonchalantly as she searched for the second black sail. Will came up from below deck, yawning and blinking in the warm sunlight. 

"Good morning, sister. And Will." he added as an afterthought. Jack came up behind him and sat on a barrel, massaging his temples. Will's brow furrowed.

__

What's wrong with him? he mouthed to Tades as he met her eyes. She smiled. 

__

Hangover, she mouthed back. Jack grumbled an unidentifiable yet probably extremely explicit oath, walked across the deck and went into his office; he closed the door with a mighty BANG. 

The pirate lady laughed and started up the rigging again, the sail in one arm. Romulus casually stepped forward to the tangles of ropes, and began to climb up after his half-sister. 

"Yer gonna need my help." he said, climbing much slower than she had.

Tades snorted. "When I fall, you can go down on the deck and be a nice, soft cushion for me to land on, eh?"

She began tying down the sail, the crumpled black linen waving in the sunlight. Romulus snorted in return to her comment. He stepped up into the crow's nest, and sat back, watching her work. 

"Lookee us now, sister." he mused. 

"Yer in the crow's nest and I'm about to fall off this pole. What'm I lookin' at again?"

Romulus laughed, a deep, booming sound. "Th' adventures! Aye, sister, I don' ever recall ye having dreams of being a pirate. And more, a lady pirate."

She scoffed and tied another knot. "I'm the only one goin' on the adventures here, good bartender." 

"Aye, but did I ever have dreams of owning a tavern?"

"Nay. As I recall, ye wanted ta be a soldier."

"Not in Spain." he protested. 

"No…" said Tades, stopping for a moment and thinking, "never in Spain did we dream, I s'pose…"

"Of course," Romulus interrupted her thoughts, "I s'pose we did learn more there then we'd ever have learned in our entire lives."

"Aye, aye to that one, sir!" said Tades sarcastically, "I enjoyed being in a _pandilla, _sneaking into houses and stealing things every night. Risking my life for a bunch o' lads and lasses who could cull me at any moment was great fun, oh yes indeed." 

Turning away she called down to Will. "Bring me up some more rope, will ye? This one's runnin' out." 

Will nodded and looked around for a coil. 

He grabbed one and slung it over his shoulder, beginning to climb up the rigging.

"What's a…a…diya-whatever-you-called-it?" he said as he climbed. Tades laughed. 

"_Pandilla _is Spanish for gang. I was in one when I lived in Espana." 

Will blinked. 

"Spain." Romulus translated, " Lived there for almost seven years an' she still can't speak their language."

"El silencio por favor." Tades glared. Silence, please.

"Muy bajo tu, cuñada." Romulus returned easily. Shut up yourself, sister.

"Trasero majo." she replied with a grin. Romulus stuck his tongue out. Smartass.

Will had gotten to the crow's nest by then. He threw the coil of rope to Tades and sat down next to Romulus. 

"Thankee, lad." She proceeded to tie the rest of the sail down. 

She was just tying the last knot when an unpleasant surprise came along. 

"JACK SPAAAAAAROW!" a familiar woman's screech echoed across the ship. Tades nearly fell off the pole she was so surprised, catching herself as her legs dangled in the air. Will immediately leapt up to see who was screaming for the pirate captain.

"Bloody hell," muttered Tades, struggling to pull herself up, "it's Giselle." 

"Such poetry, sister." Romulus quipped as Tades got to her feet on the pole, quickly running back to the crow's nest and leaned over the rail. 

"Gidday, Giselle. Can I help ye with somethin'?" she called down cordially.

"Where is that bloody captain of yours? I've a word to take with that scoundrel…several words in fact." the prostitute was red with anger. Tades sighed. 

"Cap'n Jack Sparrow is dead, ma'am. We mutinied against him on our way to Port Royale. The ole man's takin' his meals in Davy Jones' locker now." the pirate lady said with the epitome of seriousness.

Giselle looked a bit saddened, but still quite spiteful. "Is that so?"

Tades shook her head sadly. "Aye. Will's our cap'n now." she gestured to the very confused looking lad.

The prostitute snorted. "He'll need more on 'im than that to be cap'n of the Black Pearl…or any ship." 

"That's what I said, too." agreed Tades. Giselle looked ruefully at the black sails, freshly pulled to the poles and the mast.

"Sorry ta bother ye. G'bye, then." she turned on her heel and walked away, skimpy dress fluttering in the wind.

As soon as she was out of sight, the office door opened. Jack's dark-haired head stuck out. He glanced around. 

"Thank ye." he said somewhat appreciatively. BANG. The door shut again.

Tades shook her head lividly. "I can't believe that man."

"Aye, but you've known 'im long enough that ye should." Romulus stated, leaning back and propping his feet up on the rail.

Will sat back as well, his knees up to his chest. "How long would that be?"

"Since I was sixteen." she replied as she walked back across the pole to where she had left off.

"By God, sister. How long ago was that?" quipped the Longhshanks bartender. 

"Watch it, Romulus…" Tades growled. "Seventeen years." she said, almost mumbling.

"SEVENTEEN _YEARS_?!" Romulus' voice was high with mock-surprise.

"Rom…u…LUUUUS!" his sister snarled furiously. The very tall man looked mildly afraid. 

Tades spoke not another word until she was finished with the sail. She walked back across the pole, cuffed Romulus sharply on the temple, and sat down beside her brother. Romulus winced and rubbed his head. 

"Yes, Turner," she said, "I've known Jack Sparrow for a very long time. Too long, really." 

"We KNOW yer old, sister, now get on with the story!"

THWACK.

"OW!" 

Will cleared his throat as more men began to board the Black Pearl and begin their chores. 

"Anyway, he, Gibbs, me, and yer father were on th' original crew o' the Black Pearl…when she was freshly built, and under the command of Cap'n Follighaer." said the pirate lady reminiscently. 

"And you were not you." sniggered Romulus.

"My father? And what do you mean?" Will questioned with a start.

"It means," Romulus drawled, "that Tades was not quite a woman back then."  
THWACK.

"I did NOT deserve that!"

"Yes ye did!"

Will again looked confused.

"Are you saying she was a man?"

"TURNER!"

"Not exactly…"

Will's eyes widened. "Are you saying...she IS one?" 

"Now, that ain't very nice, is it?" Jack's voice came from the deck. "O'course, when yer talkin' about Tades, its easy to mix up things like that…"

Tades' eyes were small flames meant to burn the souls of men like the eternally damning fires o' hell. Romulus shrunk away jokingly.

"Jack, I told you not to employ my sister AGAIN!"

"There was a 'before'? Last time I hired someone named Tades, it was a lad, not a lass." the pirate captain called up as he also began to climb the rigging.

"Watch it, Jack." Tades said through gritted teeth.   
"Ah ah ah…" the dark-haired rogue corrected, "its CAPTAIN Jack."

Tades grumbled something explicit. Romulus casually looked about on deck. 

"Jack…" he said, his voice edged with awe, "you never told me you had more than one lovely lady on board." 

His sister's mouth fell open in surprise. "Are ye actually saying I'm lovely?"

Romulus was pulled back to reality for a moment. "Right. Jack, ye never told me ye had a lovely lady on board!" 

Tades rolled her eyes heavenwards. Jack's eyebrow rose suspiciously. Will chuckled.

"Aye, the boy is lovesick. Already." Tades stood up and leaned over the rail. "Hey, ANA!"

The black-skinned lady looked up from where she was going over chains for broken links. 

"'Mornin, Tades."

"Gidday, Ana. Have ye the chain ready, yet?"

"Almost."

Tades leaned back. Romulus gave her the glare that she had used on him only moments ago.

"God, Romulus, just ask the lass out fer a drink." Jack offered. 

"Oh…I…c-c-c-couldn't do that."

"Romulus." said Tades very seriously, "you own the bloody bar."

"I know, dammit." he said, frustrated. 

Will chuckled again. Romulus glared. "Jus' because you gotta girl don' mean anything!" the bartender mused indignantly.

"Oh NO, brother…" sniggered Tades, "he's well on his way ta bein' a father."

"WHAT?"

"Sorry, Romulus," the pirate lady patted her brother on the shoulder, "there's just no hope for ye." 

She leaned over and saw Ana was done with the chain. There had been a huge mess of it, and Ana had been coiling it all up. Now it had to go down under deck. . She slid down a rope from the next and down to the deck. She walked over to Ana and was going to help her lift the chain. Ana was a strong woman on her own and had gotten it all into a barrel. Tades was suddenly sprung with an idea. 

"Romy-dearest…" she quickly walked back to the mast and called down, "come down here for a moment."

Romulus climbed down begrudgingly. Tades scurried in Anamaria's direction. Ana lifted up the barrel. Or more, she tried. After she got it up, she stepped back and tripped over _something._

Romulus reached forward and caught the black lass in his strong arms, barrel and all. Tades grinned. 

"Er…lemme help ye with that…" said Romulus blushingly as he set Anamaria back on her feet. He took the barrel form her and began to walk under the deck, Ana following.

"Now where do ye want this?" she heard him say. 

Will was laughing up in the crow's nest, Jack was as well. Their whoops of mirth filled in the air. 

Tades grinned. She gave a firm salute to the captain.

"I think Romulus' gonna find a girl real soon…" drawled Will.

"Hope she don't trip over my feet no more, though." Tades winked. 


	7. Chapter Seven: Tying Up Any Loose Ends

ROPE-WALKER

By Jashi

N O T E: I do not own POTC…I just write the fics…because I'm…obsessed with Will Turner's hat. *nods* There. That answers everything now, doesn't it? Play the Rope-Walker Drinking Game! Down a pint every time someone mistakes Tades for a lad this chapter! (I am not responsible for your drunken antics.) This chapter is for **_you_**. **_You _**know who you are, object of my harassments. ^_~

CHAPTER SEVEN

'Twas late evening, the sun was setting in Tortuga. Tades was finishing her chores. Many men were already beginning to disembark from the Pearl as the sky turned a rusty red color among the dark clouds, signaling a storm.

"Red sky at night, sailor's delight." she heard a familiar voice quip behind her.

"Red sky at morn, sailors take warn." the pirate lady answered without looking behind her at the captain. She set up the last barrel of hardtack under the food-shelves. 

"That should do it." he said, looking back up the stairs at the storm-filled sky. 

"Aye." she answered absently and started up the stairs. Jack followed her, and she stopped on the deck to look at the setting sun. 

He pulled on his hat. "I'm planning on getting some decent rum tonight."

"Why? Yer already drunk."

"Not nearly drunk enough! Come!" he beckoned to her and scampered off the Pearl.

Tades shook her head, amazed. "Heaven help us…" she looked up at the sky. There was a mighty crack of thunder, and a bolt of lightning lit up the red.

"Never mind…"

At the Longshanks, Romulus was busy filling pints of beer when he heard the thunder. He grinned.

"Good business tonight…"he mused. Suspicious characters were filling up every inch of the Longshanks. This was no new devilry, only Romulus disliked brawls in his bar… 

The door opened, and more pirates and plunderers and evil-doers came in. One of them, he noticed, was Jack Sparrow. He saw Will Turner coming in behind him. He grinned to himself as he gave a serving-lass two pints to take to their table. As an afterthought, he put another on her tray. 

"Take another for that lad comin' in." he pointed to his sister Tades. She came in and sat down next to Will. 

The lass grinned and took the tray over. After setting their drinks in front of them, she leaned down close to Tades' ear. 

"You seem like a nice lad…are you…_free _tonight?" she whispered seductively, her fingers playing around the pirate lady's collar.

Will's eyes just about popped out of his head and Jack choked on his rum.

Tades looked the barmaid straight in the eyes.

  
"'Scuse me." she said, her voice quiet with subdued anger, "but I'm a lass, miss."

The barmaid flushed terribly and stumbled away, mumbling apologies. Will gave into temptation and started to laugh, but was cut off by Tades' hellish glare. 

Romulus chuckled heartily to himself. Tades took a sip of rum, and Jack grabbed another pint. Will took this opportunity to whisper to Jack.

"Does this happen often?" he muttered as Jack gulped down half the pint.

"Not usually…but it gets her drinkin'…" he grinned. 

The bar got loud and busy. After an hour or so Romulus took a break to sit down at the three's table.

"Having fun?" he inquired as he grabbed himself a pint.

"Aye." 

"Tades, dear Lord!" exclaimed the owner of the Longshanks, reaching over to her head. "Is that a gray hair?!"

He plucked a hair from her head. 

"Burn in hell, bartender!" she snapped. 

"If I have to, yer comin' with me." Romulus replied

Tades finished her pint and looked glumly out one of the windows.

"C'mon, Tades," teased Jack, "drown yer bloody sorrows. Live a little."

"First it's drown, then it's live. By the gods, Jack, make up yer bloody mind." she muttered and swigged. Jack smiled as much as one can when you drain half a pint of rum. 

Singing went up around the tavern, and Tades brightened a little. She finished her pint and took another. 

"I thought you didn't drink, sister." inquired Romulus.

"I don't drink fer four straight months after this, Romy-dear." 

"Ah. This is fillin' yer quota fer the year then, I suppose." mused Jack as he grabbed another pint. 

Tades decided not to answer as she sipped. She began to eavesdrop on the conversation at the next table, which wasn't hard. 

"And you'll never believe this!" yelled the man, making no effort to be quiet as he reached the climax of his tale to his mates, "th' wench actually wanted to come on board! Stupid lil' prostitute, all dressed up and nowhere ta go. It was bloody hilarious!" 

Tades' eyebrow raised.

"Aye," said the man, wiping a faux tear from his eye, "no woman could do a pirate's work." This was met by a small chorus of 'yea's and 'aye's. 

Tades snorted and Jack grinned. Romulus smiled broadly.

"Who laughed?" the man suddenly jumped up. He was a large man, not as tall as Romulus but he looked as though he could hold his own.

"I did, sir." Tades mocked, raising her hand in the air.

It was the man's turn to snort. "What do ye know? Yer just a whelp of a lad." He turned from her and laughed.

Jack actually spit out his rum. The grin dropped from Romulus' face. 

"What's yer name?" she said, her voice low. 

"It's Reed, whelp." he imitated her with a falsetto voice.

"Well, _Reed_," she growled, eyes alight again like fires of one hell of a penitentiary, "I am not a lad."

She stood up, fingers drumming a tattoo on the table.

Reed turned around slowly. 

"What are ye talkin' about, lad?" he accused, beginning to get suspicious. 

"I am not a lad." she snarled again, "I am a woman and a pirate at that. My name is Tades Rackham." 

His eyes widened, and then he began to laugh. "So ye say! I bet ye make a nice little bit o' fun fer them below the deck, eh? Waiting for the customers that only come at night?" 

"That name's familiar…Romulus! She related ta ye?" piped a man. 

" 'Ey, Romulus! Is that yer lil' sister? Why isn't she workin' a street corner tonight?" asked another voice from the other side of the table. 

Romulus winced. "She's me older sister, lads."

"As ye so often remind me." she muttered under her breath.

"And she's a pirate. A woman pirate, if ye couldn't see that before."

"No, actually, I couldn't! No wonder she had ta go on a ship ta get customers! She ain't got NOTHIN'!" yelled the man with whoops of mirth, making exaggerated motions to his chest.

His mates laughed and it was Jack's turn to wince.

"That was low." he muttered to himself and shook his head. "They've got it comin' now."

"And what have ye got?" Tades' words were slow and calm, filled to the brim with malice, "I notice ye've no lasses 'round ye tonight."

"So?" the man turned cold and defensive.

"Even _I _had a lass on me tonight." she said with a sweet, mocking tone.

The man's mouth dropped open for a moment.

"But yer a…a…"

"Aye. I'm a lass and I got more ladies hangin' 'round me than you'll ever get in yer miserable life, eunuch." she spat at his feet.

"Tades, dear, I just mopped that floor."

"Muy bajo, Romulus."

"Si, si, si…" he muttered with a slightly saddened voice, though he was smiling. 

Reed's face was growing red. 

"What'd ye say, ye damn trollop?!" 

"Eh, Reed, take a gander! She looks like fun ta play with!" voiced the man sitting next to him. Several of the other men laughed heartily. 

Tades scowled. She didn't like the sound of this…and neither did Romulus. 

"I thought you didn't allow brawls." said Will. 

"Tades is pretty much a given." replied the bartender. 

"But I don' like taken advantage o' harmless hussies, mate." Reed rasped.

Tades snorted again. "I bet they're the only things ye CAN take advantage of."

"Yer askin' for it, wench."

"It didn' occur ta me that I was askin', ye bloody son of a bitch!" she snarled.

Reed drew his sword, eyes flashing with anger. 

"Oh, yer scarin' me, lad! I c'n beat ye with both hands tied behind me back."

"Alright then." Reed smiled devilishly, "let's try it, shall we?"

The pirate lady shrugged. "Fine by me." 

"Men!" Reed turned to face the others in the bar, "we've ourselves a rumble tonight! Who'd win…me?" he pointed to himself, "Or…the pirate prostitute?"

Tades growled threateningly under her breath.

"Last chance ta back out, wench!" 

"Not on yer life." 

"Down, lass! Keep yer head on." Jack directed as he took another swig. "I don' want to be carryin' ye home in a box tonight…"

"Tades, why must ye be so…so…stupid?" inquired Romulus quietly.

"It runs in th' family." 

"Aye, but…" 

"If yer willin' ta fight…let's raise the stakes more than the petty bets of our mates…" leered Reed, a smirk on his face that made Tades just a little nervous.

"…Name 'em."

"Let's see…if ye win…" Reed dug in his pockets and pulled out some gold. He threw it on the table. He gestured to his mates and they sighed. Each pulled out a few pieces of gold or silver and threw it with his. 

"Ye get all o' this and I never bother ye again. But if ye lose…" his grin turned into a sneer, "yer mine…and me crew's for one night. Know what I mean?"

It was very hard for Tades not to gag. 

"Tades, wait…" she heard Jack say behind her.

"Aye!" she said stubbornly, "I agree ta th' terms." 

"Fine!" Reed's eyes were dancing with laughter, "let's start as soon as I sharpen me sword."

"Tades! Would ye stop and THINK for a bloody moment?" Jack shoved her back down into her seat.

She looked slightly miffed as she turned to face him.

"What?" she asked a bit impishly.

Jack shook his head. "Romulus, have ye some rope?" 

Romulus got up and disappeared into the back room. He came out a few moments later with a coil of rope and tossed it to Jack.

"Tades, when ye die, can I have yer gun?" quipped Romulus. Tades rolled her eyes.

"I'm not gonna die, idiot." 

"Or so she says." said Romulus to himself. Tades stood up and Jack began tying her wrists together behind her back. 

"Go easy on 'im, love." he muttered in her ear

"Do I have to?" she whispered back. 

Jack chuckled in his response and tied the last knot tightly. She sat down again and waited until Reed was done sharpening his sword.

"Are you done yet?" she asked, trying to look bored. 

"Aye." grinned the other man in a somewhat disturbing way. Several men moved back tables to create a space for them to fight. The woman tried to figure out how many pints he'd downed and compared them to how many she had. 

__

He had better bloody be more drunk than I am…if this is drunk…

"Tades, let me warn ye, if ye break _anything_…" Romulus began as he looked around at his tavern worriedly.

She sighed exasperatedly. "Ye could have always made us go outside, dear brother." 

A blonde haired man came over to their table.

"Ah, Rob, nice ta see ye." greeted Romulus

"What's yer bets, gentlemen?"

Jack reached in his pocket and pondered for a moment. Tades sent him a warning look.   
"How 'bout a shilling on the pirate lass?" 

"Jack!" whispered Tades, now even more cross than she was before.

"Sure ye don't wanna bet less?" asked Rob.

"I'm pretty sure of where I stand." answered Jack. He met his look-out's fiery glare and winked.

Tades stood up and pushed her chair in with her foot. 

"C'mon, let's see how much ye bend!" Reed snarled and leapt at her with the sword. 

Tades moved to the side and his cutlass missed. He slashed up at her chest and she angled down, falling into a crouch-like position. He sliced down and she hurtled backwards, barely missing his blade. Reed's sword cut the air in half as he slashed at her again, aiming for her heart. 

__

Shall I show ye how I move now?

Her knees buckled and she bent backwards, her head nearly touching the floor. Then the pirate lady jumped up, like she was a spring. Tades was smiling. 

The fight wasn't a long one. Reed got her a few times on the arms, and once on the side of the neck, cutting off a wad of her hair. She'd bruised him a little on the legs, but that was all. It was clear now that Reed was coming to his senses and it was even clearer that he had the advantage.

"Oi, mate." a man from Reed's lot nudged Romulus.

"Aye?" the somewhat worried looking bartender replied.

"Is she good in bed?" 

Jack gave a look of great revulsion when he overheard this. Will spit out his rum. 

__

Y'know, mates, I have ta mop this floor…Romulus thought before he answered, grimacing.

"She's my _sister_, lad." 

The man looked blank for a moment. "So? Is she good in bed?"

Romulus turned from him. "That's disgusting." he muttered with great repugnance.

"And she hasn't lost yet." Will pointed out.

The bartender's grimace turned into a sad frown. "Now she has."

Tades was on the wall with Reed's sword at her throat. He had a leg around one of hers and his lips whispered close to her ear. His arm was about her shoulders cockily as he pressed her against the wall. Jack's eyebrow raised and Romulus sighed. 

"Why don't ye scream for help, lass?"

Tades' eyes burned yet again with that hellish glare that had become her signature over the past few days.

"I'm not really in the position ta." she said lowly. 

"Looks like ye have a little somethin' on ye…" his eyes were leering with drunken want, "No scream fer me? You'll be screamin' tonight…I guarantee…right up on my ship with all me men…"

That was it. Tades simply snapped. Her leg curled to around his already winding one.

"Warming up ta me, wench?"

"Not on yer life!" she muttered angrily and using all of her strength she set him off-balance, forcing him down. As she used all of her will to keep herself standing as he fell, his sword making a red, dripping line across her throat.

He hit the floor, and tried to jump back up. But Tades' boot met the back of his neck, and she shoved him down again. She stepped on the hand with his sword and finally made him let go of it. 

There was a thwacking sound as her foot kicked the side of his head. 

Tades grinned and put her foot at his back as he struggled to get up. She shoved him back down again each time.

"I think I won." she said flippantly.

"I think ye won." said Romulus, "Now get off the man. He's a payin' customer."

"Aye." she took her foot off of him and returned to the table. 

"Not bad, lass. Only took ye…twenty minutes 'r so." Jack quipped as he took a knife to her ropes.

With a quick slash he set her free and Romulus disappeared again into the back-room. 

He came back with a towel and threw it to her. She began dabbing up the lines of bleeding on her neck. 

"Romulus, what else do ye have back there?" Will inquired.

"Oh, everythin'. Rum, rope, towels, barrels, empty bottles, blankets, paper…women…"he added as an afterthought.

Will laughed. 

It was very late in the night, when Tades had collected her money and she had headed back to the Pearl for a little sleep before setting off the next morning. Will had come with her and he slept below the deck.

Tades was on the deck, nearly sleeping standing up. She'd been inspecting what damage had been done to her hair, and it seemed as though Reed had hacked quite a bit off. And only on one side as well. 

__

Stupid bastard. She thought, _well…it's jus' me hair anyways._

She heard footsteps behind her. " 'Allo, sir."

"I can't believe Romulus closes that bloody pub at four past midnight! That's extremely unreasonable fer any bar." Jack complained.

"I think it's unreasonable that ye didn't bloody pass out on the way here like ye did last time." Tades quipped.

He came and stood beside her on the railing. After a few moments he spoke again.

"Do ye want me ta fix that?"

Tades jerked up. She'd almost fallen asleep. "What now?"

Jack twirled one of his own dreadlocks in his fingertips.

"Yer hair, lass."

"Are ye sober enough to see straight?"

"Aye." _I think_, he added in his mind.

"Then please." she said.

He stepped behind her and gathered all of her hair into his hand. 

"Hold still, love." 

He drew his sword and made a steady cut through all of it. 

Dark brown hair fell loose in his hand and Tades shook her head. The hair was a now a more shoulder-like length.

She looked at it.

"Eh, looks straight. Thank ye. I think I might kip a bit 'fore we set sail." 

" 'Night, then."

" 'Night, sir." Tades began the climb up to her crow's nest. 

Jack leaned over the rail and dropped the clippings of the lady's hair into the sea. But he twiddled one hair between his fingers for a while, only thinking. He then let it go down to the sea with the rest. 

The captain of the Black Pearl strolled over to his cabin, walked in, and shut the door with a slam.

( To be continued…please review! Thankee.)

__


	8. Chapter Eight: If We Sink, All the Fish ...

ROPE-WALKER

By Jashi

N O T E: Pirates of the Caribbean isn't mine. All the Spanish words I'm getting are from 

Go there for all your foreign language translating needs. 

CHAPTER EIGHT

Tades awoke the next morning, the early morning sun wakening her. She viewed the red sunrise. It was crimson, farther from the sun it was dark like blood, and nearer to the sun was bright. The clouds were both anger and passion, twirling and entwining with each other across the sky. It could have been an oil painting, and she could have reached out and touched it and smeared the colors across the sky. 

It was as beautiful as it was ominous. 

"Red sky at morn, sailors take warn." she frowned on the horizon. Tades took up the rope and slid down it to the deck. Will was coming up from below the deck.

Tades knocked on Jack's door. No answer. She opened it and peered inside. She sighed. Jack wasn't in there, of course. 

"Good morning, Tades."

"Aye, Turner."

Will glanced at the bloody sunset. "That's a sight to see, isn't it?" he smiled. Tades' brow furrowed.

"Looks like the moon killed the sun an' it's bleedin' everywhere. What a bloody mess," she said. She started off the boat in the direction of the Longshanks. 

"That was such a _happy_ thought," he mused sarcastically to himself. 

"Will, rouse the rest of the crew. We're settin' sail ta-day. Was Ana down there, do ye know?"

" Yes, she was. I'll get them up," he responded, and made his way down below deck. 

She walked down the road, casually looking about for any sign of Jack. She would ask Romulus what had happened to her, and she had a dead-on feeling that he knew. Knocking on the door of the Longshanks, she let herself in, though the bar didn't open until noon. 

The bar was messy, with a few tables turned over and several chairs broken and thrown off to the side. Romulus was awake and washing down the long bar counter.

"Buenos dias, hermana."

"The morning doesn't look so good, Romulus. Did ye see the sky?" 

Romulus looked at her slowly. 

"Ahora no está el Time to Live en el pasado." he said. Now is not the time to live in the past. 

"Sé." I know.

"Incluso no comience tan abajo de ese camino, Tades," he finished sternly. So don't even start down that road, Tades. 

"Muy bien, usted rata ignorante estúpida de un hermano," Tades muttered bemusedly. Fine, you stupid ignorant rat of a brother. Romulus only laughed. 

"Anyways, do ye know where Jack is?" 

Romulus raised an eyebrow. "He's in the back, actually. Decided to buy some more rum for the voyage…"

Tades rolled her eyes. "Half the ship's filled with rum already. Si nos hundimos, todos los pescados sentirán bien a alcohólicos." 

If we sink, all the fish will become alcoholics.

Romulus laughed and pointed to the door leading into the back room. 

"Get him out of here before he drinks all of my rum and I go out of business, savvy?" said Romulus in a mocking tone. 

"Aye, with pleasure." Tades ducked into the back room. 

Jack was looking through the rum bottles very decisively, picking them up and feeling their weight, searching for the date of creation on the bottle, sniffing their contents. If they seemed to meet his requirements, he set them off to the side. He was in the middle of tasting one when Tades walked in. He promptly gagged on the beverage and spit it out. 

"Bad rum?"

"No, bad image."

Tades rolled her eyes. "I truly hope yer gonna pay for all that," she gestured to the small accumulation of rum bottles. 

"Eh…it didn't really cross my mind."

"Jack---" she began.

"Tades!" he cut her off sharply, "It's CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow."

"Alright, CAPTAIN," she glared at him, "I hope yer aware of the fact that at the moment we have more rum on the ship than we have water."

"The sea has plenty o' water, lass."

"Very funny, sir."

Jack snorted and took another swig. 

"Go ready the crew, and I'll be out there soon. I want us ready to go in an hour. Shoo, Tades." 

He pushed her out the door and closed it quickly. Tades found herself at the bar counter again.

"Come, Romulus. You'll want ta see yer lass off." she grinned at her half-brother. The bartender sighed, threw his rag down on the counter, and followed his half-sister out of the tavern. 

The Black Pearl was chaos. Men were everywhere, taking inventory on supplies, swabbing the decks, cleaning the rails, and preparing all their firearms. Just in case.

Tades was up in the rigging, as she usually was, retying the sails and untangling ropes; she checked every length of rope and every inch of sail. 

Romulus helped load a few more barrels below deck. Ana was down there, along with Will, checking the gunpowder and making sure they would have enough in case of battle. 

For there was always that one-hundred eleven miles of treacherous pirate territory to go through, and they would perhaps need every particle of gunpowder, every single solitary bullet, and every shot they had. 

If only fate was kind to pirates.

Jack finally came onboard, with a good load of rum which Romulus helped him deposit below deck.

  
"…Is everyone here?" he shouted to the scurrying people.

"I believe so, cap'n," yelled Gibbs from the bow.

"Right. So…if we've enough food and water and rum and bullets and rope…we'll go." 

This got a happy shout from the entire crew, including Tades as she climbed down from the crow's nest. 

Jack disappeared below deck for a good fifteen minutes. He came back up again, eyes gleaming and a grin on his face. 

"All right, me crew. Hoist the anchor! We set off now." 

Romulus held Ana with his gaze, and she winked at him. He turned and began his way off the Pearl. 

"So long, hermano." Tades gave him a smile as Romulus got off the ship. 

She climbed up to the crow's nest and stared forwards into the skyline. Jack took his place at the helm, his hat firmly on his head.

As the ship began to move, Tades did not look back. She preferred not to ever look back, it made her think she was second-guessing herself. So she stared into the rising sun and the lovely, dark blue waters of the Caribbean.

Romulus watched from the land as the magnificent Black Pearl began to sail away. He spied his sister in the crow's nest, taking no looks back at Tortuga. He smiled.

"Tome todos lo que usted puede y no dé nada detrás, la mujer que camina las cuerdas."

Take all you can and give nothing back, Rope-walker.

~

And so the adventure truly begins…to be continued. 


	9. Chapter Nine: Wicked Winds and Windings

ROPE-WALKER

By Jashi

N O T E: Ho hum, PotC isn't mine…blah blah blah, etc, etc, etc… Everybody go read "Hide Behind October" because well, if you liked Romulus, its centered around him (or at least, it will be, it's quite a flashback right now.) If you are interested to see what happened to Tades and Romulus way back when, read it. And review this fic, if you still like it. Yeah. I really was working on this for like, three weeks. Hope this makes up for it.

A phrase to describe this chapter and those following it I must take from the Harry Potter trailer I saw when I went to see RotK…

"Something wicked this way comes…"

CHAPTER NINE

The wind was picking up, and the Black Pearl glided through the water steadily. It had been almost a week and a half since they'd set out from Tortuga, and Tades was again watching the late afternoon sky from the rigging for the umpteenth time. The once clear day was growing murky with thin, wispy gray clouds. 

She climbed to the pole holding the mainsail, and walked across it to retie the sail. This one especially had become loose much to often. The pirate lady reached down to inspect it, and noticed the tangles in the ropes. Sighing, she untied it and began sorting it out; absentmindedly untangled the ropes, herself momentarily becoming tangled in them. She looked at the sky with its gathering clouds again. 

__

What is this in store fer us…a storm?

Jack came out of his office with a great slamming of the door. Tades nearly jumped out of her skin in surprise, and all of a sudden she was falling, falling, falling, speeding to the ground and she closed her eyes and waited for the bang of the deck and the smashing of the bones.

But all that came was a very nasty jerk on her leg and suddenly Tades was spinning slowly. 

She looked down…the deck was a some feet lower. And when she looked forwards, she looked straight into the very amused eyes of Jack Sparrow himself.

"_That_, love, was a bloody brilliant trick, there. So much fer the amazin' rope-walker, eh?"

Tades glared in fury as she tried to get out of the rope tangled around her foot…that had saved her life. 

"Jack---"

"That be CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow."

"All right, _cap'n_," she growled maliciously, twitching and struggling to get out of her odd position, "ye may…go…to hell…" 

Jack simply laughed and drew his sword. With a quick snap of his wrist he cut the rope and Tades landed in a pile at his feet.

"This ship…" he chuckled mercilessly, "this ship is halfway ta hell, as far as I'm concerned." 

Tades stood up and dusted herself off, and gave a smirk at the captain of the Black Pearl.

"Then…" she said quietly, her eyes conniving, and she nudged him to the rail of the Black Pearl. He raised his eyebrow. 

"…then let's pit ye a bit closer then, savvy?" she whispered, and gave a mighty push.

Jack Sparrow went over straight over the railing and landed with a hearty splash. Tades smiled and walked back to the rigging, and began to climb it again.

"Hmm…" she mused aloud, "I think there's somethin' I'm supposed ta yell about now…er…I can't seem to recall what it is…hmmm….ah…oh yes, I remember now…" she grinned wickedly.

"MAN OVERBOARD!" she shouted, and then laughed as some of the crew rushed over to the side to see their captain treading in the warm Caribbean waters. Gibbs threw a rope overboard and dragged him up with some help from Cotton. Jack fell with a splat on the deck. He shook the water of his hair like a dog, and walked over to the base of the mast.

"Y'know, Tades, it's not uncommon fer a pirate captain ta kill one o' his crew, especially if they mutiny."

She grinned at him from the nest.

"Ye don't have the guts, sir."

The next couple of days were met by anxiousness from Tades. The sky was turbulent and angry looking, yet not a drop of rain fell from it, not even a distant rumble of thunder. She almost wished a storm would explode upon them, just so it would be there and she wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. _Quite an odd thought, really, but ye started thinking like that when ye were on the sea long enough_, she thought. You started to hope for storms, not to destroy the ship and kill the crew, but danger was enticing. 

It was the fourth night she had stayed awake; the next night would be her night off, she'd sleep, and someone else would take her place. But it was not to be.

There was a divine crash of thunder and a streak of bright lightning across the sky. The winds became violent and Tades looked to the heavens and saw her answer. Then it began to rain. 

The rain pounded like bullets upon them, and Jack shouted orders at the top of his lungs while trying to keep the Pearl on course. The thunder screamed its anger and the sky and ocean unleashed their murderous wrath upon the pirate ship. Tades came down from the rigging, for it was often not a good thing for anyone to be up there, even if you were very good of balance. The winds would tear anyone down from the perch, and the lightning in past times was prone to strike the mast of the ship. She slid about on the soaking wet deck, bailing out water and following Jack's incessant orders. Storms were no trivial thing. Though deep in her heart, Tades loved storms. On the first voyage of the Pearl, no one had cared if she stayed up in the rigging during even the most terrible of tempests. It was a wonderful feeling, though extremely lethal. The wind whipping about her, the rain pelting down endlessly, the brilliant flashes of lightning across the sky…all were a past memory to Tades, whose captains in the past had often yelled at her to get down from the rigging when storms came. 

She came down from the rigging, and followed Jack's commands. As an hour passed, great swells of ocean water plunged onto the Black Pearl, threatening to sweep men overboard. Lightning lit up the sky, and Tades' eye caught something up high in the rigging.

The knots and pulleys holding up the mainsail were coming undone. 

Tades watched quizzically, confused. 

It was as though a ghost, invisible to the human eye, was undoing knots and pretty much screwing everything up. _If the mainsail goes down, we're all dead, _she thought, and half of it came down with that thought. Her eyes widened in fear, and her body moved before she knew what she was doing. 

She began to climb the rigging desperately, rain streaming down her face, through her hair. The wind pulled the throng of leather from her hair, letting it loose as it fell, soaked with the water. She reached the pole that the mainsail hung from, and without a moment's hesitation, dashed across it. It took her little time to reach the sail's tyings, vast as they were across the pole, but as she stood there, fighting to keep her balance on the pole as the ship careened and twisted through the storm, something flitted about her.

Actually, it was several things, it seemed. It was something evil, no doubt of it, and it whizzed around Tades deliberately, trying to make her fall.

__

I won't fall again, not again, not ever! she cried in her mind, swatting at them and losing her balance and regaining it over and over again. 

Meanwhile, the mainsail was coming down, slowly. 

"_Watch it!_" came the cry of a voice she could not name.

Perhaps it was the wind, or the things untying ropes, but something gave a great push to Tades, and she fell backwards, now hidden from sight behind the sail.

Tades grabbed something as she fell, a rope, and ceased her descent. She was moving still, somewhat fast…_I've got a main rope! _she realized with a bit of glee, the mainsail wasn't falling anymore. Her weight was pulling the sail back up. A very crude and illogical way to raise the sail, but it had stopped falling, rising again. She groped about on the rope, curling her legs about it, and found another one. She pulled it, and she fell slower now. The mainsail broadened, and became stable again. But Tades could not move, for if she let go of those ropes, the mainsail would fall. She gripped the two ropes tighter, entwining her legs about them. The ropes were soaking wet, and she gritted her teeth as she held on. They were slick and hard to grasp properly. 

The wind tore at her, and Tades began to be pushed to the side by the gale. A gust of wind swept through the sails and Tades was thrown into the mast.

Her head spun, but she held onto those ropes for dear life. She looked up to see the pole holding the mainsail, and saw dark wisps of wind. She then hit the mast again, and knew no more.

That morning, Tades awoke groggily. 

She was still holding onto the ropes. Someone was saying her name.

"Tades, Tades, Tades. I think ye've lost yer touch; that be the second time ye've fallen this week. What are we going ta do with ye, love?" came the teasing, familiar voice.

Tades looked down and saw the face of her captain.

" 'Lo, sir."

She felt very, very tired. Her eyes were somewhat bloodshot; her hair was damp and matted. The sail was still up. That was all that mattered. 

"Hold the sail for me, please, sir."

Jack obliged and took hold of the ropes she was hanging from, pulling them taut. 

She began to climb up the ropes until she reached the pole. Tades dragged herself up onto it, and began to retie the ropes without another word. It took an hour, but the sail was fixed and Tades slid down the a rope to the ground. 

"What made ye fall, lass?" Jack asked as she put the extra rope away.

"I don't know, sir. There was something up there, no doubt o' it."

"It looked as though somethin' pushed ye right over on the pole there."

"I don't know, Jack, if I had an answer I would've given it to ye by now," she said snappishly, and left him.

Tades slept the next night, then resumed her watch. More days passed, uneventful. The crew was getting bored. Then fog swept over them like a very thick, warm blanket, and it became quite hard to see.

Will Turner was leaning on the Pearl's rail, gazing out into the heavy mist. He stared out into the never-ending fog wistfully, and thought of Elizabeth. Something dark and looming behind the great gray shadows caught his eye for just the briefest moment, and he snapped out of his momentary reverie. 

He stared again into the fog, hard and focused. After another moment, he saw the outline of the large shape again. Will took a few steps back from the rail and turned. He called to Tades, who was observing the ship from the crow's nest.

"Tades!" he called, and she looked down at him.

"Aye, Turner?"

"…Come down and see this…" he said. She cocked her head at him, puzzled, but swung down on a rope to him. 

"What's botherin' ye?"

He led her over to the spot where he had been standing. 

"Stand right here, and look out…right over there," he pointed off into the distance.

"Turner," she laughed, "only a fool tries to see things in fog like this."

"Come on, Tades," he pleaded, "I saw something, I know I did."

She sighed and stared bleakly out at the fog. After a few minutes, she saw the dark outline of something very large.

Her eyes widened.

"Aye, I saw that…" she trailed off. Thinking for a moment, her eyes widened again and she gasped.

"Bloody 'ell!" Tades swore, and ran off towards the bow. She bounded off and climbed onto the figurehead, then began to inch along the long pole that stretched from the figurehead out. Her feet on the figurehead's cranium, she turned back towards Will after studying the fog for a few moments.

"Stop the ship, Turner, make 'em stop!" she gasped, and then yelled louder, "Land ho! Stop!" 

Will ran to the helm where Jack was steering the ship.

"Jack, stop the ship!" he cried.

"Now, why would I do that?"

But then Jack heard Tades' yell.

"Land ho! Weigh anchor! Jack, STOP THE BLOODY SHIP!"

"Alright, alright, keep your shirt on, woman," Jack mumbled, and yelled, "Weigh anchor! Hop to it, lads, we haven't all day!" 

The anchor was dropped and the Black Pearl slowly lurched to a stop. Tades breathed a sigh of relief from her place on the bow. Jack came down from the helm and walked to the bow. 

"Now what are ye makin' such a fuss about?"

Tades looked at him warily. "Give me somethin' ta throw, sir. I need somethin' heavy."

Jack turned on his heel and got an empty rum bottle from his office. 

"Will this work?"

"Aye, toss it here." 

He threw it to her. She caught it and motioned towards the wall of fog.

"Now watch, and listen."

Tades cocked her arm back and chucked the bottle. A moment later there was the piercing sound of contact and shattering glass. A grin crept upon the pirate lady's lips.

"The sea ain't solid enough to break glass, sir."

As Tades spoke these words, the curtain of fog was pulled back, and what lay before them was unveiled.

The rum bottle had hit a very large rock in the distance, not too far. But it was one of many large, jagged rocks, sticking up out of the water, so close together not even a canoe would have much chance of getting through them. They were almost like…

"…stepping stones," breathed Jack as he gazed upon the scene. Tades surveyed it with a worrying eye. The rocks reached for a very long distance, then she spied a coastline.

"Well, sir," she said, getting off the figurehead and coming back onto the solid deck, "the Island of Pain awaits."

"Right," murmured Jack as he stared fixedly at the coastline in the distance, "right." 

He shook as head as though ridding himself of an image, then quickly disappeared into his office. He emerged about ten minutes later with a rucksack and a grin. 

"Men," he began, ignoring the glares from Tades and Anamaria, "some of ye scoundrels will go ashore with me, while others of ye will take the Pearl 'round the Island to meet us at the other side, savvy?" 

"Aye aye, sir," cried several men, and they resumed whatever they had been doing before.

"Hmmm…" Jack looked at the rest of the crew.

"Will, you can come with me…Tades…Anamaria…Gibbs, and McDermott," he motioned to a man coiling rope.

"We leave in ten minutes. Hurry up."

Will strapped his a sword of his to his belt, and picked up another one. He strapped it on as well.

Tades closed her eyes and thought.

"Let's see, Tades…" she mumbled to herself as she mentally checked off items she had on her, "Spyglass…no." 

It was up in the crow's nest. She scampered up the rigging to get it. Placing it safely in her pocket, she felt for her others weapons.

"Gun one…two…yes. Powder, bullets, yes.

"Knife one, two, three, yes," she said, and felt each, the one at the waist, the other two hidden in her boot and up the sleeve.

"Where's your sword, Tades?" asked Will as he attached one two his waist, next to his own knife and gun.

She heard a snort from behind her.

"Tades is…dysfunctional with the sword," Jack snickered.

"Useless is more like it," added Gibbs.

"Shut up, 'fore I turn a gun loose on ye, lads," she glared.

The crew lowered the plank to the nearest rock, and Jack stepped off first. Tades came down next, followed by Will, then Ana. Gibbs began to walk down the ramp, but the plank…jumped…back up to the ship, throwing him to the deck. While the four waited on the rocks, the crew tried to get the plank down, but it seemed to have gotten immensely heavy. They couldn't lift it to save their lives. 

"Go on, cap'n. Yer losin' daylight," said Gibbs with a shrug.

Jack nodded slowly and said, "Goodbye then, Gibbs." 

Tades jumped to another rock, and another, and another, slowly making her way across the vast area of protruding rocks. The others followed, and they moved at an average pace. 

The sun was just beginning to set as they reached the coastline. 

"I think we can make some ground before it's gets dark…" said Jack, and reached into the rucksack he'd brought, He pulled out a map. The other three crowded behind him to peer over his shoulder.

He closed the map with a quick snap before they could get a good glimpse at it. 

"We'll reach the other side fastest if we go straight down the center, savvy?"

"Aye, sir. That'd be quite easy if there was a center," Ana pointed out.

Up past the beach, there was a worn path. The path split in two at a gargantuan monument of rock. The paths wound around it, and other than their slight beginnings, you could see no more of where they led. 

Choose wisely.

__

…^_^ To be continued…please review.


	10. Chapter Ten: Dos Trayectorias de Dolor

ROPE-WALKER 

written by Jashi

N O T E: PotC isn't mine, for the 666th time! GAH! 

It's just a noisy hall where there's a nightly brawl…and all that jazz. Sorry, I haven't updated in a loooooong time. 

I must warn you of some very disturbing…things that take place within this chapter. This is the Island of Pain. That means lots of pain, both physical and mental for our heroes. The mental pain can be quite disturbing at times, so if you can't handle it, don't read this chapter. Now on with the show. 

CHAPTER TEN

"Should we split up?" wondered Will aloud. 

"And have only half of us survive?" snorted Anamaria, "It's obvious that one path is the right way, and one path is the wrong way." 

"It'd be better than having all four o' us going down a path…perhaps the wrong one, and then none surviving," mused Tades.

"Or maybe both paths are right?" guessed Jack.

"We'll take the right one, then."

"Left!" yelled Tades.

"How do we know if left is right?" questioned Will. 

"Why are you so sure that right is right?"  


"Because its right, of course."

Jack massaged his temples. "Or ye could shut up and we could do this an easy way."

"What do ye suggest?" said Anamaria.

"Tades, flip a coin."

"Aye," she said, and dug in her pocket for one. She pulled it out and rolled it between her fingers.

"Heads is right," wagered Will.

"Then tails be left," Tades said, and flipped the coin high up in the air.

It landed softly on the sand, revealing the tails-side.

"I win," drawled Tades with a smile, "We'll be goin' left."

She started towards the left path, Jack and Ana following. Will gave a sigh and began to follow as well, but he picked up the coin that Tades had left on the sand. 

As they approached the path, Will rolled the coin between his fingers, tossing it from one palm to the other. His brow furrowed and he stopped walking.

"Tades!" he yelled, furious, "This is a weighted coin!"

Mischievously, Tades looked back at him. 

"Pirate," she reminded Will. 

Will sighed again. 

They stopped at the fork, looking up at the massive rock that separated the two pathways. Then they turned onto the left pathway.

But only two of them made it on.

After a few minutes, Ana stopped short behind Will. She turned around, but there was no one behind her.

"Will," she said in a low voice, "where are Jack and Tades?"

"What?" said Will, flabbergasted. He turned around, and saw too that there was no one behind them. There was no one ahead, either. 

"Where in God's name could they have gone?" wondered Will aloud, "I thought we went left."

"Maybe left isn't right…"  


"Goddammit!" swore Tades as she looked around, "Turner went right!" 

"Did he really?" said Jack, peering behind and ahead of them.

"Yes," she mumbled, "the stupid eunuch."

"Let's go back then," Jack offered. He walked back along the path to the start, but as he tried to pass the rock, a huge gust of wind blew him back. He went flying. 

He landed on Tades, who fell under his weight.

"Jack!" she yelled, trying to get him off of her.

"Kinda comfy here, actually."

"Get off o' me, idiot!"

"Ye didn't say the' magic word, lass."

She sighed. "Fine. _Captain_, get the bloody hell off me."

"Aye aye, ma'am."

He got off of her and she jumped up, brushing herself off. 

"Gods above, Jack, what're ye made of? Lead?"

Jack started down the path again without responding, his brow furrowed and muttering to himself. She followed him as they trudged for an hour or so, wondering what had become of Will and Ana, and why they couldn't go back.

The sky grew dark and the dying sun sank beneath the waves of the blue Caribbean ocean. 

"It's getting dark," said Will, looking about them cautiously, "I think we better stop."

"Hmm..." pondered Anamaria, "I s'pose we should, not knowin' the island and all."

They were no longer blocked by rock walls surrounding them, but dense forest. But there was still stone. It almost glared at the travelers menacingly, as if to say go back, go back, we don't want you here...

Will sat under a tree and Ana did the same under another. He stared up at the black sky, dotted with tiny pearls of white stars. The trees, green and lush, bordered on it as they reached in their never ending journey to one day touch the sky, and Will fell asleep while looking at them.

__

He was in a musky place, where the air was not quite air, for it was more soot than breathable stuff. The forge, he remembered. It was his smithy. A rather empty place now that people feared him, Will Turner, the half-pirate. But the swords still glinted brightly when a speck of sun shone upon them, and the fire still blazed bright and red, even though they were both created by the hands of a pirate. 

It was at the end of a very long day of work when he hardly stopped to take a breath of rest. There was a knock at the heavy doors, then they were opened without hesitation. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled, and his head jerked up to see his wife, his Elizabeth. He relaxed, slowly. He took steps towards her, and she smiled and spoke soft words that made warm his heart. 

He took her in his arms.

He could feel the fragile beating of her heart. So tiny, so flutteringly soft. And as he held her, his eyes traveled to the swords mere inches away from their heads. Minutes passed. The beat of her heart began to grate on Will's mind. He felt her heart, heard it, fingers heavy from calluses feeling it on her back. But he could not feel his own. It annoyed him, a tiny annoyance only at first. Then it grew to a bitterness, so anxiously annoyed that he had to stop it that beatbeatbeatbeat sound inside his wife, and he pulled a sword down that gleamed no more for there was no sun, only darkness. The fire went out. There was no light. 

The sword went in quickly. 

The heart stopped. It was sliced in two as her eyes opened wide in surprise and then became lifeless. She fell to the floor. He leaned over her again, closed his eyes, and heard silence. 

Beat beat BEAT beat BEAT BEAT beat beat...

He heard it again. 

What was that bloody sound? 

He leaned close to Elizabeth, listening, and he heard the softest thing a man can ever hear...the sound of an unborn child's heart...the child in Elizabeth's womb...caged by skin until it grew...covered in flesh by the mother...

The sword went in quickly, and Will saw his son for the first time. 

He took in a breath and then saw them, his dead wife and her dead son in his hands. 

Water began to fall from his eyes, silently as he began to shake violently.

He heard the beating of his heart. 

Ana's eyelids drooped. It was tiring, being here like this, nothing to watch but the confounded dark sky. She thought of the Pearl, and of Tades and Jack. Will groaned loudly in his sleep. She looked at him, alarmed, and saw the pain contorted on his face briefly, then disappeared. 

She was in Jamaica, a place she remembered well. Everything was warm and lush and beautiful, and she sang to her mother as they walked down the street. Her momma laughed, and she saw her brother Rueni, and her da. Her family. The sky was so perfect, the people did not fight here. 

The sun almost danced in the sky in a red and orange ritual of flame. The trees tried to join in, shaking with the breeze. A ship was pulling into the harbor, and she stopped to watch it. 

There were lots of white men on that ship. She cocked her head quizzically. They got tied down, then when the man she presumed was the captain of the ship came down to talk to the dock master, the captain pulled out a sword and cut off his head. Someone screamed, and cold took her so quickly it was as though she'd jumped into an ice-filled river. White men oozed out of the ship brandishing knives and shackles and odd contraptions that seized up black men and women by the neck and bound them all together. 

They grabbed her people and dragged them on board the ship. She ran, trying to pull Rueni away from the white men, but he was torn from her. There was such panic, such utter hysteria as people ran into each other trying to get away from those of pale skin. Ripped flesh, spurting blood. The streets were lined with it. They killed the old and those too young to do any work. Her eyes were bleeding, at least, in thought, from these horrors she was forced to bear witness of. 

Rueni was being shoved into a neck contraption. She ran at him, when a white man grabbed her and shackled her hands. She fought, she hit him and bit him but he got her in a cage, and she saw her da trying to kill them white men, kill them for taking his children and, as she saw in a moment, the death of her momma. They struck down her da, and he fell across her mother in a sea of red.

The sun danced.

Anamaria beat the bars of the cage until her hands bled to add to the red rains falling not from the sky but from the people.

Ana and Will awoke at the same time, gasping for air and writhing on the ground as though they were drowning. Tears streaked down Will's face, and Ana's hands were nastily bruised and scraped.

Will rolled over onto his hands and knees, breathing heavily and letting the sweat and tears run down his skin until they dropped onto the sand below. Ana leaned back against the tree, eyes opened widely. She did not want to blink. She did not wish to see what lay behind her eyes again.

The moon rose high in the sky, gleaming an odd whiteness. It was pale, too pale to be the real moon. It chilled them through their cold sweat. 

They spent the rest of the night awake, jumping at small noises.

Tades was beat. She counted days in her head. _Uno, dos, tres...quatro. Damn. _The fourth day awake now rapidly approached the night. Her body began to ease, becoming tired and more listless. Her body was used to four days. Four days , a night of sleep, then four more days. God, could the timing have been any worse? 

The moon rose high in the sky, a piercing white light that struck Tades as very odd for the moon. Usually she was a soft, lamp-like orb in the sky, glowing not for light but for comfort. 

Jack called back to her, "I think we better stop now, lass."

"Aye," said Tades, and they stopped. 

__

Hope yer ready to make el cinco grande, Tades, she thought grimly to herself. 

The rock path was still high on one side, but there was an expansive forest of huge trees on the other side. Tades could smell saltwater. She knew they were near the sea.

Jack sat against the rock wall. Tades leaned against a tree, standing up and looking at the sky. She kept forcing her eyes open, and fought back valiantly against yawns.

"Lass," Jack said, a smile in his voice, "what the bloody hell are ye doin'?"

"Watchin', like I'm s'posed to."

"Did ye think ye were the only one who counted yer days, Tades?" he chuckled, "Sleep, lass."

Tades was relieved. She slid down against the tree and lay her head on her knees.

"'Night, sir."

"'Night."

And Tades slept. 

__

To be continued...


	11. Chapter Eleven: Sweet Dreams Are Made of...

ROPE-WALKER

By Jashi

N O T E: I return after a long hiatus. I apologize. PotC isn't mine, I promise. Okay, there's disturbing stuff in this chapter. Read at your own risk.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

_She was falling._

_Her hands reached out for a rope, a bar, a ledge to grasp and stop her murderous descent. But there was nothing—only air. Her heart slammed against her ribcage in utter fear. When had she come to fear falling? She used to fear nothing. That was when she was younger, when she was sixteen and a boy on Follighaer's Black Pearl. But it was nothing but a fleeting mem'ry now. Air screamed around her as she fell faster and faster, and when she opened her mouth to cry out desperately, she landed._

_In a cell, dank and dark. _

_She blinked, lungs heaving. This cell looked familiar...like the one she'd been held in in Spain...yes, this was it. The last one, when Jack had broken her out. _

_But no Jack came._

_A stoic figure clomped up to the cell bars. More figures followed, opening her cell, binding her hands and shoving her out. She relentlessly struggled, until a fist crashed into her face. Blinking dazedly, Tades looked up into the face of Romulus Rackham. _

_"Romy, what th' blazes..." _

_He seized her with his massive hands and brutally shoved her out to the hangman's noose. She fell uncharacteristically into the dirt and was dragged up by none other than Will Turner and his father. _

_"Bootstrap, you're dead!" she managed to cry before Anamaria nearly threw her towards the noose. They pulled her up to the contraption of death and there to pull the noose was Jack Sparrow. He leered at her as he pulled the noose around her throat. _

_"Sir, sir, it's me! Tades! Please, Jack, don't do this ta me!" _

_He slapped her across the face with the back of his hand. "Quiet!"_

_And then Tades caught a glance of something behind him...a shadow...a figure of darkness with immense, ebony wings, muttering incoherently in a language that left a black stain on her spirit. _

_"Wait..." she whispered, horrified beyond all tears or scream, "I'm not quite ready t'die yet, sir..."_

_Jack grinned like Hades must have when Persephone ate the pomegranate seeds, and pulled the rope as hard as he could. Tades flew up into the air, dangling. As she struggled for air she heard the laughter of Romulus and Will, and Jack's sinister chuckle, and then the winged shadow behind Jack opened its eyes to meet hers. The eyes were so cold and dead that she could see herself dying in them. _

"Tades! Tades!"

Tades convulsed in her sleep, drenched in cold sweat. Jack tried to shake her awake and her eyes flew open wildly at his first touch. She quickly sat up, gasping deeply for air, still shaking a little.

"Oh Christ," he heard her mutter, and she ran her fingers back through her hair.

"Tades? Ye alright, love?" he inquired. She looked at him, her eyes flashing fright for a brief second. She sighed, closing them.

"Yessir. Just a bad dream." Tades shivered. "I'll take the watch now. I won't be able to fall back asleep."

He cocked his head at her a moment. "Aye, then. 'Night, Tades."

"'Night, Jack."

He did not bother to correct her. He settled down to sleep by the dying fire, wondering what could have shaking Tades so. He saw her stretch and then curl up again, clutching her knees to her chest.

_He couldn't find the rum._

_He looked everywhere for it. _

_It was gone._

_No one had anymore._

_Hell._

_Hell._

_"BLOODY 'ELL!" he screamed in his cabin one desolate night aboard the Black Pearl. He felt murderous. In fact, he felt _very _murderous...like something rotten had crept up inside his soul and started to reside there, planting itself and growing with long, hateful tendrils to snake around his heart and brain. He picked up his knife and flung it at the door, not knowing that Will had opened it to come in without knocking. The knife embedded itself in his windpipe. Will's mouth opened in a wide O, his eyes full of shock as he fell do the floor, dead. Jack's heart froze in his chest. What had he done? He walked to Will's corpse and pulled the knife out with a sickening crunch. His hands began to shake. Anamaria stuck her head inside the cabin._

_"'ey, Cap'n—sweet Jesus!"_

_"It was an accident!" he heard himself screaming as the knife flew from his hands into Anamaria, who staggered._

_"...'e's...'e's...gone mad..." she managed to mutter as she sank slowly to the floor. Jack cried out, his voice full of confusion and rage. His body moved without his knowing it, and as he walked out of his cabin, his hands killed Gibbs and a cabin boy. _

_Then he saw Tades. _

_"Jack, what th' 'ell are ye doin'?" she demanded, and he lunged for her. _

_"Run, love!" his voice was harsh and desperate as he landed on his watch, tearing at her with his bare hands. Tades tried to get away, struggling. He didn't want to hurt her, no, never...he screamed at her again to run, to flee away from him as he went mad. Not Tades, he thought, please not Tades, don't lemme hurt her, not Tades... He felt tears falling down his cheeks as he killed her against his will. _

Jack snapped open his eyes and nearly jumped to his feet, stumbling backwards until he leaned against the rock wall.

"Jack?" came the questioning voice of Tades Rackham. She stood up and crossed over to his side of the fire. "Is somethin' wrong, Jack?"

Jack leaned over, hands on his knees, trying to swallow and when he felt Tades' hand on the back of his head, he murmured, "Captain."

"What?"

"_Captain_ Jack Sparrow, lass."

She rolled her eyes. If he was well enough to bicker about that, he was fine.

Ana and Will decided to get going again. The sky was still dark but neither of them could sleep after their sadistic dreams, so they began walking down the path once more. They walked in silence, absorbed in their thoughts about their dreams. Why had they come? And why so violent and terrifying?

Ana's thoughts were interrupted as she heard a shot crack in the distance. She stopped and looked down. A gaping hole lay in her chest, a perfect shot that went all the way through.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

Three more holes.

"Ana, move!" cried Will, shoving her to the side. She was in shock, unmoving. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

A sliver of metal flew out of the forest towards Will...he drew his sword, leaving Ana as he tried to block the stick. It evaded him, moving around on its own as though guided by an unseen hand. "Hold on, Ana!" he managed as the other blade cut long slashes in his arms.

Jack and Tades walked, and Jack hummed an old soldier's tune. He decided that the dream was the result of him drinking too much. He considered relaxing on the rum little, but decided that his sanity was best kept whole. The two walked, the pale, waxy moon shining down on them. Jack walked through a patch of moonlight, absorbed in his humming.

Tades, however, stopped dead.

"Ye told me you weren't an immortal anymore," her voice was a whisper of conviction and fear.

He blinked. "What in th' seven hells are ye talkin' about?" He turned around towards her. Tades drew back.

"Ye're...ye're...undead, sir...look at yerself..."

Jack looked down at his arms and his eyes grew wide. He was an undead pirate again, his skin gone and his rotting bones gleaming in the white moonlight. He wiggled his fingers, and murmured, "My God."

His hands had gone numb, and so had his legs and feet, and he said so.

"Can ye feel this?" said Tades quickly, grabbing his hand. Jack shook his head. She frowned and withdrew her hand...taking his hand with her. She shrieked and dropped it, and Jack's tattered limb fell to the dirt. Jack grabbed his stump of a wrist and clenched his teeth so hard he thought he heard one of them crack.

"I...felt...that..." he gritted out.


	12. Chapter Twelve: The Leave Taking of Dolo...

ROPE-WALKER

By Jashi

N O T E: Um...wow, these notes get shorter and shorter. A little bit more disturbing crap in this chapter, but not as much as the last. Wow. Where do I get this stuff? Yet, there is fluff in this chapter too.

CHAPTER TWELVE

If you were wondering where Will was, all you had to do was follow the trail of blood that led down the path where he kept fighting an unseen ghost with a very solid sword. And a very sharp one at that. Will bit his lip as the sword kept evading his, leaving gashes in his arms, legs, and his side. His vision blurred as he lost blood. Where was Anamaria? Was she still alive? His thoughts flew to her as the sword slashed a deep wound in his side...

Ana was riddled with holes as she attempted to crawl for cover, but every moment meant another shot somewhere in her body and she finally gave up and lay there in the middle of the path, unmoving, waiting to die...

The pain that had started in Jack's wrist grew slowly but surely until his knees gave way. He saw black dust rushing out of wrist, like ghost blood. Tades dropped to her knees beside him, brow furrowed.

"C'mon, sir..." she pulled his arms around her shoulders and hoisted him up, "...I don' know what th' blazes this magic is, but we 'ave ta keep on." They made it thirty paces before Tades flew up into the air and Jack collapsed back on the ground. He noticed there was nothing left of his arm...the pirate captain seemed to be disintegrating, and he could feel every speck of him give way in a blinding torrent of pain. Dark, red-black dust kept pouring from the hole in his shoulder.

There was something around her neck. A noose. She grabbed at it as it pulled her up into the air but it was as though she was being hung by a silk thread. There was _something _there, no doubt, but as she gasped in vain attempt to breathe, she could not get her fingers around the unseen rope to save herself. It threw her into the rock wall, and her vision was dotted with stars. The edges began to blur as Tades slowly realized she was not going to be able to untangle herself from the noose.

Will's blood shone like molten silver in the twinkling of the stars and moonlight as the other sword smashed through his chest. He was thrown backwards on the ground, collapsing in a red heap, images of Elizabeth flitting through his head.

Jack was writhing on the ground, choking on his own screams as he slowly fell apart in a puddle of dust, his eyes wildly open, and he saw his watch-mate suspended from the air, her neck tilted at a grotesque angle. Tades was unmoving and gray, dangling, softly wafting as a breeze passed by.

And the sun rose.

A red sun.

The noose snapped around Tades' neck and she fell into a pile on the ground.

Jack slowly faded in and out of the spectrum until he was whole again.

The seemingly thousands of holes in Ana's body closed.

Will's blood slowly crept back into him until there was no evidence of any struggle.

Jack opened his eyes. The sun was dully shining, as though through a screen of smoke. He felt unimaginably stiff, and his arm was tender. He rubbed his eyes with his other hand and managed to sit up. Had he been drinking the night before or something? He wondered. Then as his eyes saw Tades lying in a clumsy heap the previous night's events came crashing back to him in a red-tinged memory.

"Lass," he muttered, crawling over and shaking her shoulder. Tades' eyes fluttered open.

"Sir?" she whispered, sitting up, rubbing her head.

"Ye alright, Tades?" his mutter was concerned.

She nodded, feeling odd. Jack hardly said her first name. "You, sir?"

"Fine," he said. Tades stood, offering a hand. He took it and stood. This time, however, his hand didn't fall off. Jack chuckled. They began to walk down the path once more.

It was nearly an hour later before they reached the end of the path, and the sky had grown cloudy. The path lead out to a white beach. Will and Anamaria were sitting there, looking worried.

"Oye! Will!" Tades cried out, and the young smith turned around and saw her.

"Why the hell'd ye go right?" she said angrily.

"Why did YOU go right?" Will retorted, "I know I went left."

Jack sighed. "Children, stop fighting."

Tades sighed after he did. She looked at Ana, and then at Will. They looked almost haunted, so very gaunt and wan. Her eyes widened as she realized what had happened to her had duly occurred upon the four.

"...was it real?" Anamaria's voice was low as she looked out to sea, voicing the unspoken question that lingered in each pirate's heart. She saw the black sails of the Pearl, waiting for them about a mile offshore.

"Nah," said Will nervously, "Must have been some crazy dream..."

Tades nodded uncertainly. "Must've. Couldn't've been real."

Jack's voice was low and contradicting. "No," he said slowly, looking at Tades oddly, as though he'd just noticed something, "no...it was real, love..." He reached forward and tipped up her chin, revealing a dark ring of bruises that encircled Tades' neck.

They had to swim back to the Pearl, she seemed unable to get any closer to them. Gibbs said that the anchor had fallen and no man could pull it up, yet after Jack, Tades, Ana, and Will returned to the ship the anchor was came back up without a hitch.

It was night again. Cloudy darkness loomed over the sea as Tades stood at the railing of the ship. She stared back at Isla de Dolor, eyes fixed on the line where the island had disappeared hours ago. She thought back to her wretched dream, of that menacing shadow that had lingered behind the bodies of her friends. She could not stop thinking of those terrible eyes.

"Ye alright, lass?" Jack's voice came from behind her, and Tades turned her head.

"Yessir. Just a-ponderin' is all," she muttered, turning back towards the sea. Jack came and stood next to her, his black dreadlocks softly breezing in the light wind. He took something out of his pocket and rubbed it between his fingers. Tades pretended not to look at him. He reached forward and took her hand, sliding the object into her palm and set her hand back down upon the rail. She opened her hand.

There lay a silver shilling.

Tades went from complacent to fuming in less than a second.

"M'God, Jack, a _shilling_? What th' 'ell is with ye givin' me shillings after we do sommat dangerous? Is that all I'm worth ta ye, Jack?"

"Per'aps," said Jack slyly, "an' its Captain, lass."

"In th' bloody name o' Christ," she swore, cocking her arm back. This time she did throw the shilling, and it caught the tiny ray of a star that twinkled, uncovered by a cloud. She saw the little, now-gleaming object disappear beneath black waves of Caribbean sea. She regretted throwing it the moment it left her hand.

"Now ye got ta go get it," said Jack seriously. Tades' jaw dropped.

"_What_?"

"Hold yer breath, love," he whispered, a gleam in his tricky eyes as he seized Tades and firmly shoved her over the rail. He heard her small cry as she hit the water, and also her obscene curses as she came back up, sputtering.

"Ye little bastard!" he heard her shriek. He smiled and picked up a rope, throwing it down to her. Tades grabbed the rope and scurried back up the side of the ship.

"I hate ye," she muttered when she finally got back on deck, shivering and cold.

"I know, lass," said Jack with a smile. But he pulled off his faded, worn coat and set it on her shuddering shoulders. She said nothing for a long time.

"Jack?"

"Yea?"

"Why'd ye keep givin' me shillings?"

Jack was silent for several moments. "I dunno...seems ta be th' right thing ta do..."

"Why?" the pirate lady cocked her head.

"'Cause, love, I keep rememberin' that day...nearly ten years ago, now...I keep rememberin' it inside m'head, and I hate that day so much, love, I hate everythin' that happened."

Tades bit her lip, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

_The Black Pearl, perhaps ten years ago, under Captain Jack Sparrow's short reign. Tades Rackham was Jack's old friend from when Follighaer had been cap'n of the Pearl, where she'd dressed as a boy in order to get out of Spain. Follighaer was dead now, though, and Jack was the new captain. He'd known her secret while Follighaer was cap'n, yet he had never divulged it to anyone, and Tades was indebted for him forever for that simple action. Jack had re-hired her now to work under him as his watch, and he'd hired her as a man. He'd hired Bootstrap Bill as well, and Tades had great respect for this man. _

_But the rest of the crew she did not respect. They were absolutely rotten men, especially that first mate Barbossa. He peered at her through yellow-tinged, piercing eyes, and when she saw him staring she wondered if he knew who she really was. The rest of the crew was leery and uncomfortable with her, as though she was an animal instead of a person. _

_Then it happened._

_Jack blacked out inside his office from drunkenness, as was the norm, yet Barbossa and his men pushed a heavy barrel of chain against the door to keep him in. Tades had been up in the crow's nest, staring out at the sky. _

_"Come down, Tades," Barbossa had called up to her, his voice silky, "I gotta job fer ye..." _

_Every single one of Tades' instincts screamed at her to stay up in the nest. Yet still, she clamored down the ropes to Barbossa._

_"Yessir?" she asked casually. _

_The other man furrowed his brow, squinting. "Tades, lad, c'mere, I see somethin'." He took a step nearer to her. Tades stepped back. She remembered seeing Bootstrap put down the rope he was coiling, sensing something was wrong. _

_"Ah, yes, Tades...I see what's wrong...I SEE EXACTLY WHAT'S WRONG!" he bellowed so fiercely that every man on deck of the Black Pearl stopped what they were doing. He grabbed one of Tades wrists, and with the other hand tore open her cotton shirt. Her eyes widened and she yelled, "'Elp, 'e's gone mad!" Yet everyone on the crew saw it as Barbossa tore the rest of her shirt from her torso. They saw the cloth that wrapped around her chest, binding her chest tightly. Tades was stunned into silence, and as Barbossa quickly relieved her of the chest-bindings, nothing but pure shame was in her. _

_"Tades...yer...yer...yer a woman..." came Bootstrap's whisper. And then came such a torrent of screams, taunts and curses from each one of the men that Tades could not hear them. She struggled against Barbossa, who grabbed her and shoved her against the mast. _

_"Barbossa, no!" yelled Bootstrap, and he pulled him off her for a moment, which she used to duck away. A chase ensued. There were shots fired, and so much ruckus was made that Jack finally was awoken. He tried to open his door, but it was stuck. Hearing the gunshots, he thought a fight had broken on deck and he slammed himself against the door many times until it finally cracked open. He barely slid out, and when he did he saw a sight that he would never forget. _

_Several members of his crew were holding Tades over the railing, her hands were bound and she was half-naked, and her exposed skin was covered with red scratches. There was a terrified look in her eyes that he had never seen before, and as they readied to drop her in their eyes met for a fleeting moment. _

_"STOP!" cried Jack, and the crew froze. "Cap'n!" yelled Barbossa, "This here's a woman! Tades ain't lad, she's a woman! Ye know what has to be done!" _

_"Jack, wait," said Bootstrap, "don't kill 'er, Jack, she's never done anythin' but be a woman..."_

_Tades eyes spoke volumes to him that words could never have expressed. It was a mix of terrible fear, pain, shame, but still a plea for him to let them drop her, for if he admitted that he'd hired her knowing she was a woman, they'd mutiny against him faster than lighting. _

_Turning his head away, he muttered, "Drop 'er."_

_Tades did not let a sound come from her as they threw her into the chilly Caribbean waters. Jack walked as casually back to his cabin, trying not to appear concerned in any way. As soon as he disappeared inside, he ran to the porthole. _

_He saw a lone, pale form swimming in the direction he knew was Tortuga. _

Jack closed his eyes at the memory. "Lass, ye have ta know I never wanted that ta happen to ye...It was th' only thing I could do...though it didn't matter, they mutinied against me anyways..."

"S'alright, Jack," Tades voice was softer than usual, "I know."

He absently put his hand in his pocket, and his fingers felt something small and round. Pulling it out, he saw it was a shilling.

"This is fer that day, love," he said, and suddenly he noticed how close they had become. He took her hand, gently pressing the shilling into her palm.

He closed her fingers around the coin, not letting her hand go.

Jack felt Tades' lips brush against his.

He opened his eyes. "That was worth a shilling, love."

"What?"

"That kiss was only worth a shilling."

Tades looked at him with a mixed expression of disbelief and humor.

"Shall I try again, cap'n?"

"I would suggest."

He felt her lips upon his again, and her kiss was warm.

"Hmm...four pieces of eight," he judged.

Tades' eyes were dancing. She laughed at him.

"Then, Jack Sparrow...what shall I do?"

"Tell ye what, love. I'll make it a gold doubloon fer ye, savvy?"

She gave him a mock glare. "I wonder if ye live up ta yer name."

"I'll let ye be the judge, love."

He kissed her.


End file.
